Black Friday is beginning to shape the holiday plans of savvy Kiwi travellers. Photo / Supplied
Black Friday is beginning to shape the holiday plans of savvy Kiwi travellers. Photo / Supplied
See our selection of the week's top eight travel deals, ones which you don't have to be in the US to take advantage of.
Our friends in the States are getting ready for the busiest week in travel of the year. Every Thanksgiving an estimated 30.6 million Americans board planesand jet off to see family in far flung places.
While few travel as far afield as Aotearoa, one thing that has spread to New Zealand is the American tradition of the holiday sales.
Black Friday has nothing to do with Kiwi sports teams but is the day after Thanksgiving.
With the holiday traditionally falling on the last Thursday in November, the day has become synonymous for businesses and travel companies trying to flog their wares to American families over the long weekend. Hooray for late-stage free market Capitalism!
Booking websites the world over are buying in to American holiday deals. Photo / Sara Duble Koei
Nothing could seem more alien from the other side of the Pacific. However, according to Expedia it's changing the way we book travel.
According to the travel booking website 12 per cent of Christmas bookings were made on Black Friday last year. In the era of globalism and online travel booking – Kiwis have begun taking advantage of Black Friday airline sales and hotel discounts to plan their own holidays.
The website also said that opportunistic New Zealanders have begun using the sales to bag a cheap last-minute getaway. One in three holidays booked during the sales are for travel within a fortnight, mostly for domestic weekend getaways. Top destinations booked last year were Napier, Rotorua and Taupo.
More recently the terms Cyber Monday and – the even more try-hard – Travel Tuesday have been coined in an effort to sell vacations.
Yes, these are all days invented to part people with money that they would not otherwise have spent, but for the savvy traveller there are bargains to be found.
Travel Tuesday Roundup: The Best Black Friday Travel deals going
EXPEDIA.COM
Kiwis looking to book in next year's holidays now or score a last-minute summer getaway can get up to 60 per cent off hotels and travel packages when booked through their website. Starting Monday November 25, exclusive coupons will be available at expedia.co.nz/blackfriday.
Travel Tuesday, Black Friday and even Cyber Monday are all as good an excuse as any to shop for travel bargains. Photo / Marten Bjork
There is an additional 15 per cent off hotels for those using the Expedia App, using the appropriate coupon.
BOOKING.COM
The streamlined travel site is hosting a range of deals across hotels and holiday rentals starting on Friday, November 29. The global sale on holiday rentals starts at 40 per cent off, with book-by dates extending though to Monday December 2.
INTREPID
The world's adventure group travel company is offering Black Friday discounts across their 1500 itineraries in120 countries. The ethically-motivated travel company promises 20 per cent off 2020 departures booked between November 26 and December 5. While not all of these deals are available to New Zealanders, there will be a specific Black Friday travel deals published on Thursday. Discounts will automatically be applied.
XANTERRA
A company specialising in luxury experiences and hotels across US national parks — this could be a very appropriate Black Friday purchase for anyone planning a trip to America. Deals include stays on the Historic Grand Canyon Railway and exclusive hotels in Yellowstone and other iconic national parks. With 50 per cent off national park lodges in Zion, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone stays can be booked from November 29 through to December 2.
Get $89 off an accredited adventure sports guide with the 57Hours app. Photo / Oliver Cole
ANDBEYOND
With Tailor-made African safaris and tours through Asia or South America, andBeyond offers a more adventurous luxury break. This Black Friday the company is offering a 30 per cent discount on itineraries across the three continents until December 6. As an added incentive the company is pledging a proportion of fees made during the period to projects in the surrounding communities.
The "Airbnb of home-cooked meals" Travelling spoon invites travellers to eat in local homes around the world. With cooking courses in Italy and meals made from scratch on site in Thailand, the Travelling Spoon Black Friday sale is a mouthwatering proposal for any foodie. Get 20 per cent off experiences booked from November 29 through December 2 using the discount code BLKFRIDAY20.
Dig in with a mouthwatering discount with Travelling Spoon. Photo / Harvey Enrile
57HOURS
Use this app to connect with certified adventure sports guides and take your - rock climbing / mountain biking / tour skiing holiday to the next level. The app which allows travellers to find trusted adventure sports guides around the world is offering US$57 ($89) off adventures booked through the platform, starting November 15.
WILDBUM
Wild Bum's Black Friday sale is here to offer a discount on hooking you up with a travel guide for your next adventure. Guides are there to help you on the ground but also help shape itineraries with local insights so you spend less time planning. Get 50 per cent off guides for trips booked from 10am EST ( so 4am Saturday NZDT) until midnight on Monday.
