BA Holidays is British Airways’ package holiday division, combining flight and hotel in a single booking, with Avios earning throughout. It covers destinations across Europe, the Caribbean, the Maldives, the US, the Indian Ocean, and beyond, and it runs several major sale events each year when package prices drop significantly.
The sales follow a consistent annual pattern, anchored by the January sale and punctuated by smaller events in spring, early summer, and autumn. Packages are discounted across a wide range of destinations, not just the usual low-cost routes. A BA Holidays sale is worth tracking if you are planning a honeymoon, a long-haul trip, or a winter sun holiday where the combined flight-and-hotel price is the main cost.
This guide covers every recurring BA Holidays sale event, when each one typically runs, what kinds of deals it includes, and the quickest way to get notified before the best packages sell out.
BA Holidays sale calendar 2026
The table below lists the main recurring BA Holidays sale events, based on confirmed 2025 and 2026 dates. Exact launch dates vary slightly each year but the pattern is consistent.
| Sale | Typical timing | Savings | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| January Sale | January | Varies | Largest BA Holidays event of the year Annual |
| Spring Sale | Feb–March | Selected packages | Flights and holiday packages Annual |
| The Original Sale | May | Selected packages | BA’s spring/summer package event Annual |
| End of Summer Sale | Aug–Sep | Selected packages | Autumn, winter sun and Christmas travel Annual |
| Black Friday Sale | Late November | Up to 25% | 3–7 day sale window Annual |
The main BA Holidays annual sales
January sale
The January sale is the biggest BA Holidays event of the year. In 2026 it launched on 6 January and ran for approximately three weeks, closing around 22 January. Both flight-only and holiday package prices were reduced, with long-haul destinations including the Caribbean, the Maldives, and the US among the headline inclusions.
The January sale is the best opportunity to lock in a summer or autumn holiday package at a discounted price. BA Holidays sets travel dates months in advance, so booking in January for travel between April and October is a sensible strategy if your dates are flexible.
Spring sale
A second major event runs in late February and March. The 2026 spring sale ran from 26 February to 17 March, with discounts on both flights and holiday packages across European and long-haul routes. The spring sale is smaller in scope than the January event, but it is worth checking if you missed the January sale or have autumn and winter travel in mind.
The Original Sale, May
British Airways has established a late spring sale event, branded “The Original Sale” in 2025, running around the first week of May. BA Holidays packages are central to this promotion. In 2025 the sale included holiday packages from £149 per person to European cities and from £569 per person to Orlando.
This sale targets summer and early autumn travel and tends to feature a broader mix of destinations than the January event. It is a useful window if you are planning a long-haul trip and missed the January deal, or if you want to lock in a summer package at the last practical opportunity before prices climb.
End of Summer sale, August and September
BA Holidays runs an end-of-season promotion in late August and September, aimed at shifting inventory for the autumn and winter travel period. The 2025 edition ran from 28 August to 30 September and included packages to Tenerife, Malta, Barcelona, and the Maldives. This is one of the best windows for booking a winter sun holiday or a Christmas break at a reduced price.
Black Friday, November
BA Holidays participates in Black Friday with a sale window that typically runs for three to seven days in the fourth week of November. Discounts of up to 25% have been applied to selected packages in recent years, with a particular emphasis on long-haul destinations including Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and US routes, which make up the premium end of the BA Holidays portfolio.
The Black Friday sale window is shorter than the January event. If you intend to book, it is worth having your destination and travel dates in mind before the sale opens. Popular packages like the Maldives, Barbados, and St Lucia sell out quickly.
Avios and BA Holidays sales
One advantage of booking through BA Holidays rather than a third-party provider is Avios. Every BA Holidays booking earns Avios through the British Airways Executive Club, at the same rate as booking flights directly. If you hold a significant Avios balance, you can also use Avios alongside cash (an Avios+cash redemption) to reduce the upfront cost of a package during a sale period.
Combining an Avios+cash booking with a sale price is one of the most effective ways to reduce the cost of a long-haul holiday. A Maldives package that already has 20% off in the Black Friday sale will reduce further if part of the cost is covered by Avios. The exchange rate for Avios on BA Holidays bookings is not always as favourable as on flight redemptions, but for destinations where BA Holidays has exclusive hotel inventory, it can still represent good value.
BA Executive Club members also receive advance notification of sale events by email, typically 24 to 48 hours before public launch. Signing up is free and takes two minutes. It is one of the most reliable ways to get early access to popular packages before they sell out.
How to track BA Holidays sales
BA Holidays does not always give extended advance notice of sale dates. The most reliable way to catch a sale is to have multiple alert channels active before the event opens.
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| BA Executive Club email | Members receive sale notifications 24–48 hours early | Getting first access to popular packages |
| BA app notifications | Turn on push notifications in the British Airways app | Flash events and short-notice promotions |
| britishairways.com/holidays | Bookmark the page and check in January, March, May, August | Browsing the full range of included packages |
| Price comparison sites | Kayak, icelolly.com, TravelSupermarket compare package prices | Checking BA Holidays against TUI and Jet2 at the same time |
For advice on cheap flights and the best booking windows across all UK carriers, see our guide to how to get cheap flights from the UK. BA also runs a separate flight-only sale calendar. See our guide to when does British Airways have a sale. For alternative package holiday providers, see when does TUI have sales and when does Jet2 have sales. For flight-only alternatives, see Ryanair sale dates and easyJet sale dates.
BA Holidays sale dates: your questions answered
When is the next BA Holidays sale?
The next scheduled annual event after May is the End of Summer Sale, which typically runs from late August into September. After that, Black Friday falls in the fourth week of November. For the most accurate current information, check britishairways.com/holidays or sign up for BA Executive Club email alerts.
Does BA Holidays have a Black Friday sale?
Yes. BA Holidays runs a Black Friday promotion each year in the fourth week of November. Discounts of up to 25% have been applied to selected packages in recent years, with a particular focus on long-haul and Caribbean destinations. The sale window is shorter than the January event, typically three to seven days, so it helps to have your destination and dates ready before it opens.
How do I get notified about a BA Holidays sale?
The most reliable method is joining the BA Executive Club, which is free. Members receive sale notifications by email 24 to 48 hours before public launch, giving early access to popular packages. The British Airways app with push notifications turned on is the second best option for catching shorter promotional events.
Are BA Holidays cheaper to book during a sale?
Generally yes, particularly for long-haul packages. The January sale typically produces the lowest prices of the year for Caribbean, Maldives, and US holidays. European short-haul packages see smaller reductions but are still worth comparing against TUI and Jet2 prices. Prices on BA Holidays update every 24 to 48 hours, so checking on the day the sale opens gives the widest selection.
Can I use Avios during a BA Holidays sale?
Yes. Avios+cash bookings are available on BA Holidays packages throughout the year, including during sales. Combining a sale discount with an Avios contribution is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce the price of a long-haul package. The Avios redemption rate on BA Holidays is not always as strong as on direct flight redemptions, but it represents a useful additional saving for anyone with a substantial Avios balance.
Is BA Holidays the same as booking a British Airways flight?
No. BA Holidays packages combine a British Airways flight with a hotel, car hire, or both, booked and ticketed together. They earn Avios and count as ATOL-protected holidays. A standard BA flight booking is flight-only and does not include accommodation. The sale events overlap: both flights and holiday packages are typically included in the same promotion, but the discounts and booking rules are different.
Jane Robinson is Senior Editor at Flight Tribe. She has a Master’s in English and Journalism, and writes about flight deals, holiday offers and practical ways UK travellers can spend less without wasting time on weak promotions. Jane has spent time living and working across Asia and New Zealand, which gave her a lasting interest in how people travel, eat, move around and spend their free time in different places.
At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on verified prices, realistic travel dates, booking terms and whether a deal is actually worth attention.
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Jane checks offers against live supplier pages wherever possible, including prices, dates, departure points, baggage rules and booking conditions. She is quietly sceptical of anything that sounds too good to be true, and helps keep Flight Tribe’s travel advice useful, honest and easy to act on.
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