By Black Friday falls on November 27, 2026, but you can make the most useful comparison before that date: find an overseas round trip you would actually take. Save its dates, complete return journey and baggage terms. If an offer appears later, compare it with that trip. There is no need to assume that waiting will produce a lower fare. The 2026 US holiday calendar confirms the date.
Start with the trip you would actually take
For a US departure, enter your departure airport, international destination, outbound and return dates, passenger count and cabin class in Google Flights. Choose round trip if that is what you need. Set a realistic number of stops and look at the departure and arrival times you could live with. Google’s flight-search guide explains these search settings and says you choose a flight for each part of the journey.
Keep one workable itinerary as your baseline: the flight numbers or departure times, both travel dates, connection details and the displayed price for your party. A note or screenshot is enough. If you can move the trip, search a second set of dates separately; otherwise, a tempting price for a week you cannot travel is not a useful comparison. Google’s calendar and price graph can help you explore flexible dates, but keep the trip you would genuinely book in view. Google explains those date tools.
Track your dates before the offers arrive
Turn on Track prices for your searched route and dates. Google says it can email you when a tracked route or flight changes significantly. You can track the route or select particular flights first and track those instead. If your dates are flexible, its Any dates option watches a broader route pattern; it does not answer the same question as tracking the exact week you want. Google’s tracking instructions explain both choices.
An alert is a prompt to search again, not a reserved seat or a bookable price guarantee. Google also sends some price predictions, but predictions can be wrong. Open the current listing and select the flights before making a decision. The trip you saved gives you a practical comparison: would the new option still get everyone there and back at acceptable times, with the connections you are willing to make? Google describes how its price insights work.
Judge the complete round trip
Do not stop at an appealing outbound flight. Select the return flight and compare the full itinerary: total journey time, number of stops, airport changes and the time you would arrive home. Google’s Best results weigh price against convenience, while Cheapest prioritizes price and can include self-transfers or different airports. Those differences may matter more than a small fare gap on a short vacation. Google explains the two result tabs.
A self-transfer or separate-ticket option needs particular care. Google says it may require you to collect and recheck bags, and each ticket can have different change rules. A delayed first flight can also put a later separately booked flight at risk. If an offer changes the connection or seller, compare that entire journey with your baseline rather than treating the two prices as interchangeable. Google outlines the separate-ticket tradeoffs.
Add the bags you will bring
Use Google Flights’ Bags filter for the carry-on or checked bags your party needs. It can update displayed prices to include estimated bag fees, making two options easier to compare on a similar basis. Google says the information comes from travel partners and estimated fees may face additional taxes. Its Bags filter guidance also notes that carry-on size, weight and charges vary by airline.
Before paying, read the operating airline’s baggage policy for the selected fare and check the price on the booking page. Google says its initial flight price covers passenger air transport and taxes, while charges such as baggage or payment fees may be additional. If your saved itinerary includes a bag and the new offer does not, add the required charge before calling the offer better. Google explains the limits of displayed prices.
Make the booking decision on the trip, not the sale label
When an offer appears, run the same search again with the same passengers, cabin, dates and bag needs. Compare the complete return journey and the final terms offered by the airline or booking seller. Google usually sends travelers to one of those sellers to complete a purchase; that seller’s conditions govern the booking. Google describes the booking handoff.
If today’s itinerary fits your plans and its price is acceptable to you, booking before Black Friday is a reasonable choice. If you prefer to wait, keep tracking and use your saved itinerary to test later offers. Either way, you will be judging a trip you can take, rather than a sale headline or an outbound fare that leaves the return journey unresolved.