Flight ticket release dates
Book early for cheaper seats, especially in peak times
When it comes to cheap flights, booking early can be key. So we've put our MoneySaving engines on full throttle to bring you the dates major airlines release seats.
It's important to note there's no certainty about when's cheapest to book – prices can fall after tickets are released, especially if there's a sale, but it's not guaranteed. Your best bet to be sure to get a good price is to follow the tips in our Cheap flights guide.
But if you're looking to pounce as soon as seats go on sale, this table will help. It can also be very useful if you're a member of a frequent flyer scheme looking to spend your points on flights – booking as soon as reward seats are released can mean you've more choice as seats are very limited.
Airline-by-airline release dates
AIRLINE | TICKETS GO ON SALE | HOW TO GET RELEASE & SALES ALERTS |
|---|---|---|
Air France | Released continually, 11 months before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
American Airlines | Released continually, up to 331 days before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its free frequent flyer scheme |
British Airways | Released continually, 355 days before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Easyjet | Batch release. The next release is at around 9am on Thu 21 March, for travel until 2 March 2025. See our Easyjet tricks guide | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Emirates | Released continually, 340 days before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Etihad | Released continually, 11 months before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Jet2 | Released continually, 12 to 18 months before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Iberia | Released continually, 365 days before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its emails |
KLM | Released continually, around 11 months before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Lufthansa | Released continually, 360 days before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Norwegian | Batch release, normally in January, either March or April, and again in September | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Qatar | Released continually, 361 days before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Ryanair | Batch release, around 9 months before departure. Time of year varies. See our Ryanair tips guide | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Virgin Atlantic | Released continually, 11 months before departure | Follow its Facebook page and sign up to its email |
Have you bagged a bargain booking early? Tell us about it on the Flight Ticket Release Dates forum thread.
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