Sizing Up This Year’s Batch of Black Friday Travel Deals
(Wired) It’s Black Friday, and with travel deals hitting all the major U.S. and international carriers (AirTran, Alaska, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United, United Express, All Nippon Airways, Virgin America, and JetBlue Airways) on Black Friday, some travel bloggers are starting to take stock of the deals at hand, and to make a few predictions on what you can expect when it comes to your flights and hotels.
For starters, the airlines, hotels, and car rental providers can make or break any Black Friday travel deal. Here’s what some of the biggest travel and hotel companies have in store for you this year.
AirTran
AirTran is a frequent flyer airline, with over 400,000 checked bags per month during Black Friday weekend and over 60,000 on any given day. They also have the most checked bags this year, with a whopping 6.3 million in 2013 alone.
So far, AirTran’s Black Friday deals have ranged from $69 to $129 for a basic flight with no more than 25 stops on an 18-day domestic/international route, up to $199 for a flight with a layover of more than 24 hours along with free upgrades and baggage insurance.
This year, AirTran is also offering two-for-one deals in both the first and second week of October, with the option of a first-class trip for $99 and a economy class fare for $69. The carrier also offers 50% off bookings of stays of more than three nights, and a 15% discount to members of its Platinum program. A $200 upgrade to premium economy or business class is also included.
AirTran’s Black Friday deals page also offers a great deal for those who are really strapped on the budget side, as there’s great value in buying a round-trip economy class ticket and using JetBlue’s MilesPlus to get a one-way economy ticket for the same amount of money ($149).
Last year, the carrier also introduced its first Black Friday sale on a few of its domestic routes, giving passengers the chance to upgrade to a deluxe coach class ticket