Flight Centre’s black Friday specials land early flight

The Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG)’s Black Friday specials have landed with South Africans able to save up to 45% on travel to some of their favourite destinations.

“There is incredible pent-up demand for travel and so we decided to launch our Black Friday deals even earlier this year from 17 November,” said Sue Garrett, General Manager Supply, Pricing and Marketing at the Flight Centre Travel Group. “Eager shoppers can pre-register to get to the front of the virtual newsletter ‘queue’ to hear about the deals the moment they drop. We have been releasing 2 deals a day, with Black Friday pre-release deals as good as 2019 prices.”

Flight Centre Black Friday specials include Thailand packages from R8 990 pps, Cape Town packages from R1490 pps, flights to Dubai from R5450, flights to Dublin from R5550 and flights to London from R7550, and more.

Specials also include buy one get one free cruising deals, half-price luxury train trips, up to 40% off Indian Ocean Island holidays, more fantastic local accommodation specials, European specials and even flights to New York for under R10 000.

“If you want to talk to a Flight Centre Expert in person, we’d recommend you do so as soon as possible before Black Friday weekend – pop into a store and get all the information you need,” recommends Garrett. “That way, when the weekend rolls around, you are ready to book and don’t have to waste valuable time doing your research or queuing.

“When planning, compile a must-have list which should include all the information you’ve gathered in your research,” says Garrett. “A wish-list can consist of nice-to-haves-but-not-essentials. Black Friday is a great chance to upgrade or better your holiday. If you were planning on a garden-view room, for example, you might be able to upgrade to a sea-view room for less.”

It also helps only to include items on your must-have list that you don’t want to compromise on. So, if your heart is set on an over-water villa in the Maldives, there’s less chance you will get caught up in a Black-Friday frenzy and book something else.

It also pays to know the average price of packages for your chosen destination/s and your preferred dates, so you know what to expect.

That said, be flexible. You may find possibilities you hadn’t even considered and book an even better holiday says Garrett.

“We encourage all our customers to shop safely and responsibly this Black Friday. Shop virtually, be it on our website or mobile app, and if you prefer liaising face to face, rather go into stores before the big day to consult with a Travel Expert. We ask all our customers to support us in adhering to social distancing protocols in store.”

“If you must head to one of our Flight Centre stores on Black Friday weekend, it’s critical that you arrive armed with a decent amount of knowledge of what’s on offer and what sort of restrictions are in place for your preferred destinations. Being prepared and knowing what you want will help to ensure that bookings run smoothly and that waiting time in the queues is reduced.”

Garrett shares the below tips for snagging a Black Friday special:

• Do your research beforehand on your dream destinations. Use the free FCTG COVID-19 travel map for destination information.
• Check the current travel requirements and restrictions for the destination you want to travel to with our Help Centre.
• Plan your dates – have that 2022 calendar handy.
• Set your budget.
• Check your passport and documents.