Do airline fare 'sales' really offer bargains?

DCurrer

Has any research been done on how real airline 'sales' really are?

Virgin, for example, is pushing its 'Winter sale' right now, while many other airlines do the same thing at various times. I'm doubtful, though, that I'll really get a better price on flights booked during the sale period than I would following the standard advice from MSE as to when and how to secure the best fares for selected destinations.

Are airline 'sales' just marketing hype, designed simply to encourage passengers to book now rather than later, or do they really offer a discount off fares that would otherwise apply for the same trips? Does anyone really know?

jpsartre

I've no personal experience with Virgin but have seen BA prices go down during sale periods. That said, the whole idea of a sale makes less sense for airline tickets given the highly dynamic nature of prices. And there are no guarantees that the price for a ticket during a sale is the lowest it will be before departure.

Sharon87

Yes I've had some bargains in the sale. Easyjet for instance, I was tracking a flight it was £45 2 weeks before the sale, £50 1 week before the sale and during the sale it was £40. For a cheap flight that's pretty good.

I think you have to be fast for the sales for popular destinations to get the best value.

Westin

My experience with Virgin is that fares only drop down £25-£30 pp when in the sale on the routes that I frequent. Peak travel periods like school holidays rarely included in the sale periods.

Ngozi

From experience, the sales do offer value but I've found that there is more savings to be made the farther you fly and even more to be saved in first & business class.

Think with so many airlines, especially budget ones, there is only so much that they can reduce economy by without impacting profits too much.

EssexExile

The impression I get is that if you are not fussy where you go, sales can be good. If you have a particular destination in mind the chances of getting a good price go down.

heatherw_01

Sales often have good prices, yes.

mattyprice4004

I saved around £100pp booking a return to NY in Virgin's sale.

DCurrer

That's very much my impression as well. Airline fares are so dynamic these days, changing virtually by the minute, little less each day, that 'sale' offers seem more of a gimmick than a certain offer. As others have said, if you're not fussy about where and when you go, there are probably deals to be found, but if you have a specific destination and a rough date already in mind, I suspect the 'sale' price isn't necessarily the cheapest actually available before departure.

DCurrer

Well tracked, and this sounds good advice.

pompeii

Yes we got a 2 for 1 business class ticket with Lufthansa for a little more than Premium economy £2400ish for 2 people Man to Bkk , We were going to book PE anyway and it was a great experience would have struggled to justify £4800 for flights. I think the key to most flight offers is how flexible you can be. We essentially built our holiday around the 2 for 1 ticket availability. Got fast track through all airports and use of business class lounges