When you’re planning to buy a ticket for a flight, should you wait for a sale? The answer isn’t as obvious as it seems... mostly because airlines can have a creative definition of “sale”.

We’ve been monitoring flight prices for over eight years, and we’ve picked up on some useful insight and patterns in that time. Some airlines have sales seemingly at random, while others have them at the same time each year like clockwork.

Sometimes, a sale is a sale in name only. That “featured price” could simply be the highest price the airline thinks it can get you to pay. So, it’s important to know what a good price is for your ticket before you buy, even during a sale.

We’re going to break down when most airlines have sales, so you’re prepared next time you plan to book a holiday.