When do airlines have sales?
Airlines typically have major sales and offer discounted fares during periods outside the peak travel season. Additionally, you may want to keep an eye on special sale events that can occur anytime.
Here are the months with airline sales coming up in 2024 and 2025 .
- January It’s not a popular time for most people to travel, so to incentivize travel and keep planes full, flight operators usually run major sales campaigns.
- March–April The spring season, particularly March and April, is considered a “dead zone” for travel when most airlines offer discounted fares to boost demand. They often use a spring sale to encourage early bookings for summer vacations.
- September–October These months, just after the summer peak season, also see great, low fares as carriers try to stimulate decreasing demand.
- Mid-November Companies may run sales around 1-2 weeks before Black Friday in mid-November. This allows them to get a head start on other carriers that typically have big sales around Black Friday.
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday This shopping holiday in late November is one of the biggest sale periods for most airlines.
- Special sales Airlines sometimes celebrate their anniversaries with special promotions. Travel expos and fairs, where the airline participates, are also opportunities for them to run exclusive international sales, often only available to attendees.
- Last-minute deals These occasional deals are much less predictable. The airline can put some seats on sale for dates just before departure, but these are typically for unusual times and unpopular places.
- Flash sales These spontaneous, short-term sales are often one of the best ways to save on flights. Flash sales can happen at any time and are often announced with little notice. They typically last only a few hours to a couple of days.
Which airlines have the best promotions?
Several airlines stand out for their exceptional promotions, including many legacy carriers serving popular international routes. Here are some of the airlines known for their outstanding deals:
- AirAsia A leading low-cost carrier in the Asia-Pacific region, has some of the most anticipated sales events: AirAsia BIG Sale and Super Sale. Millions of heavily discounted seats are offered during these sales, and they often feature “free seats” promotions, where passengers only pay taxes and fees.
- Emirates Emirates is known for luxury and comfort, but it also offers attractive promotions. The airline frequently runs sales with significant discounts on both economy and business class tickets. Emirates’ promotions often include added perks like free hotel stays and stopover packages.
- JetBlue Airways JetBlue is known for its seasonal sales and flash deals. The airline often provides promotions that include reduced fares, bonus points, and discounts on bundled packages. JetBlue’s Blue Fare options and loyalty program, TrueBlue, offer additional savings and perks.
- Ryanair Europe’s low-cost carrier is known for its aggressive pricing strategy. While not all their promotions are noteworthy, they occasionally provide genuinely impressive deals, including “buy one get one free” or €1 sales.
- Singapore Airlines Known for its premium service, the airline regularly offers the popular KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes, a monthly promotion providing 30% off award tickets to selected destinations worldwide. Early Bird Fares allow travelers to enjoy significant discounts by booking well in advance. Thanks to its extensive network, these promotions often cover destinations across Europe, Asia, and America.
- Southwest Airlines Southwest is famous for its frequent fare sales and flexible policies. The airline regularly offers Wanna Get Away fares and opportunities to earn bonus points through its Rapid Rewards program. Their no-change-fee policy further adds to the appeal, making it a favorite among budget-conscious flyers.
- Qantas Australia’s flag carrier often holds major sales events such as Red Tail International Flight Deal. It also runs promotions through its Frequent Flyer program—with a notable “1 Million Seat Sale” that provides heavily discounted fares across Australia.
- Qatar Airways The Qatari carrier offers regular promotions and discount codes that can lead to substantial savings. Some offers are exclusive to their Privilege Club members, providing a pathway to earn more Qmiles and enjoy premium services like lounge access.
Why don't OTAs
have promo fares?
When you search for flights on OTAs like Expedia, KAYAK, or Skyscanner, you’re accessing data from Global Distribution Systems (GDS) like Amadeus and Sabre, the New Distribution Capability (NDC) system, and direct airline partnerships.
These sources mainly provide standard airfares found on airlines’ websites—which explains why flights have always very similar prices across all OTAs.
However, airlines often reserve their most aggressive or enticing promotions for their own direct sales channels—primarily their websites. These special fares are not fed into GDS systems, and, as a result, OTAs usually don’t include exclusive sales and promotions.
How to keep track
of airline promotions then?
The best way is to take advantage of Air Traveler Club membership, which gives you access to the largest directory of current sales and promotions from more than 150 airlines. The offers are gathered, curated, and published daily.
All airline promotions, sales, and discounts can be viewed in one place:
Not all promotions are created equal
Flight deals and promotions can be tricky.
While many airlines claim to have sales frequently, not all promotions offer genuine value. To the untrained eye, a flight discount may seem like an immediate win, but a closer examination of conditions reveals otherwise.
Why do airlines run promotions?
Promotions are tactical moves in the ultra-competitive world of flying. Once a flight departs, empty seats mean lost money. By filling seats and cultivating long-term passenger loyalty, they often create a win-win scenario for airlines and travelers alike.
Seasonal sales help airlines achieve higher seat occupancy, while flash sales and time-sensitive promo codes create a sense of urgency, making people want to book right away. Frequent promotions attract and keep customers, so the airlines’ special deals often link to loyalty programs—to build long-term customer relationships. Finally, in collaborative promotions, airlines often team up with credit card companies or hotels to unveil special offers.
Blackout dates & fine print
Some promotions may only apply to less desirable routes and times, offer non-refundable tickets, or limit seat availability. For example, a big discount might be exclusive to weekday flights, when most people cannot travel.
Additionally, popular travel dates, such as holidays, are often excluded as blackout dates.
The fine print often includes conditions like advance booking requirements or narrow travel windows that may not match your travel plans.
The strings attached
Airline promotions that team up with hotels, banks, or credit card issuers might not be as great as they first seem.
Typically, an additional commitment is required, such as opening a new bank account, enrolling in a credit card with an annual fee, or booking a specific hotel. This can force you to spend more money or make choices you wouldn’t normally make.
More hype than savings
Many airline offers are designed more to build the brand than to offer real savings. These promotions often exist purely to generate buzz without actually giving much away. For instance, an airline might hype up a 50% sale to hot destinations but offer only a limited number of discounted seats.
Similarly, social media contests that promise a “chance to win free flights” mainly serve to boost the airline’s image, as the odds of actually winning are slim.
Latest promotions
Check out the newest sales and promotions from leading airlines.
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