The biggest travel deals events in the year to add to your calendar
Your cheat sheet on best time to book travel throughout the year.
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
When you’ve got a holiday on your brain, it’s all too easy to find yourself spending days, even weeks, refreshing booking and airline sites, willing a deal to pop up.
And while travel sites can be unpredictable in terms of when and where they launch their next sale, there are certain dates on the calendar that you can bet your bottom dollar will dazzle you with travel deals.
For Australians, these are the most popular and most promising annual sales events where you’re likely to snatch up some of the best travel deals:
January
1 January: New Year's sales
Many of us might be ringing in the new year with parties and fireworks, but many airlines choose to ring it in with cheap travel deals.
26 January: Australia Day sales
Australia Day sales. It’s a thing.
Australia Day is a great excuse for booking sites to get patriotic with some domestic travel sales.
Jetstar tends to get behind this one for flights.
February
Late January/February: Chinese New Year sales
Flights to Asian cities often peak around Chinese New Year and luxury airlines often host sales in honor of the event.
Popular airlines that offer discounted flights include Cathay Pacific and Qantas.
March
17 March: St Patrick’s Day sales
The Emerald Isle calls on St Patrick’s Day with sale flights to Dublin on all-inclusive carriers such as Emirates and Etihad.
Tour groups like STA Travel and Contiki also tend to discount their Ireland-bound tours and packages on this day, too.
March: Vivid Sydney holiday sales
Vivid is one of the largest light installation festivals on this side of the hemisphere.
Often held in May and July, luxury carriers such as Qantas and Virgin Australia start releasing discounted flights and holiday packages for the event as early as March.
Plan early for the best prices.
April
May
Second Sunday of May: Mother’s Day sales
Treating your mum to breakfast, lunch, dinner or high tea on her special day is a no-brainer.
But if you want to wow her no end, cruise lines, airlines and experience sites often have your back.
22 May: Jetstar birthday sale
Mark this one on your calendars, budget airline fanatics, because Jetstar tends to go all out on its birthday with some of the lowest priced flights of the year.
Late-May: Click FrenzyTM
One of the biggest sale events in the country arrives in May every year for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 24-hour event.
While it’s famous for heavily discounted shopping deals, it does throw in a few travel deals here and there, too. Travel sites that have participated in the past include BYOJet, Qatar, Webjet, Groupon and Scoopon.
Click FrenzyTM happens twice a year, so if you don’t catch it in May, you’ve a second chance to snatch up some deals in November. August also sees a dedicated Click FrenzyTM Travel event.
June
June: End of Financial Year sales
The end of the financial year brings with it a stack of discounts as merchants work to get rid of their stock.
For those in the travel industry, it’s just another reason to drop the dollars and send out the sales. Hotels, cruises, flights and tours all get behind this one.
August
Late-August: Click FrenzyTM Travel
Click FrenzyTM Travel is the little sister of the annual Click FrenzyTM sales event.
It’s still in its early days but last year this event made waves with its slew of discounted worldwide tours, cruises and travel insurance offerings.
This year, it’s only bound to get bigger and better.
November: Click FrenzyTM
As mentioned above, the 24-hour drop-everything Click FrenzyTM event happens twice a year, and November is just as good as May.
Late-November: Black Friday
Synonymous with shopping sales, Black Friday originated in the US and quickly became one of the biggest shopping days in the country.
It takes place on the day after Thanksgiving and occurs both online and offline in the States.
For Australians, it’s more of an online event with everything from fashion and homewares to travel and experiences on sale.
December
7 December: AirAsia birthday sale
Another month, another birthday. AirAsia has a tendency to celebrate its birthday in December with a sale. Sometimes its a bespoke birthday do, other times is a quarter
If it goes ahead this year, expect heavily discounted flights to Asia.
December: Christmas sales
While most places tend to wait until Boxing Day to release their end-of-year sales, you might find a few retailers that like to get in quick with Christmas sales in early December.
Jetstar has been known to do this in the past - as well hosting a Boxing Day sale.
26 December: Boxing Day sales
One of the most renowned shopping days of the year, Boxing Day brings with it a wealth of holiday bargains.
Head online to avoid the masses and snatch up some of the best deals of the year.
Think cheap-as-chips domestic flights, hotel packages, tours and cruises.
More guides on Finder
-
Bonza sales and promo codes for May 2022
See the latest fight sales and deals from Bonza, Australia's newest budget airline.
-
Jetstar Friday Fare Frenzy: Fares from $35
When is it? How much are tickets? What's included? We cover everything you need to know.
-
East Coast Car Rentals promo codes for May 2022
When looking for a deal on car hire across Australia and New Zealand, look no further than East Coast Car Rentals.
-
Rex Airlines promo codes for May 2022
Find affordable fares for less with these Rex Airlines promo codes.
-
Caravan RV Camping discount codes for May 2022
Shop Australia's #1 store for the best caravan accessories, appliances and spare parts available for 4WD, motorhome trailer, campsite, camper trailer and other camping needs.
-
Black Friday car hire deals for 2022
Get up to 50% off your next overland adventure with these Black Friday rental car offers.
-
Booking.com Black Friday deals for 2021
Looking for a cheaper stay? Save on accommodation in Australia and abroad with these Booking.com Black Friday deals.
-
Motorhome Republic promo codes for May 2022 | Get guaranteed credits or refunds on campervan hires
Find the right campervan, motorhome or RV rental for you and save with these Motorhome Republic promo codes.
-
CheapOair Black Friday deals in 2022
Score cheap flights locally and internationally with CheapOair's Black Friday deals.
-
AAT Kings promo codes for May 2022 | Up to 5% off tours
From the Top End to the tip of Tasmania, see the best of Australia at a discount with the latest offers from AAT Kings.
Ask an Expert