The date you fly can change the Avios price of the very same seat. Here is how peak and off-peak pricing works, the 2026 peak-date calendar, and how much you save by shifting your trip.
British Airways prices reward flights on a two-tier calendar: off-peak dates cost fewer Avios, peak dates cost more. Because the taxes and fees barely move, choosing an off-peak date is one of the simplest ways to make your Avios go further — especially in premium long-haul cabins, where the gap runs to tens of thousands of points.
British Airways publishes a fixed calendar that stamps every date of the year as either peak or off-peak. The same reward seat costs more Avios on a peak date and fewer on an off-peak date. Crucially, the cash side — taxes, airport fees and the carrier surcharge — is set by the route, cabin and airline, not the date, so it barely changes. That means an off-peak date improves your value directly.
Roughly a third of the year’s dates are peak, clustered around UK school holidays, bank holidays and the festive season. If your travel is flexible, sliding a trip a day or two out of a peak window can cut the Avios cost noticeably.
These are the British Airways peak travel dates for 2026 — every other date is off-peak. Peak status is based on the date you travel, so on a return trip each direction is judged separately. Always confirm the exact date at the point of booking, as BA can adjust the calendar.
| Month (2026) | Peak dates |
|---|---|
| January | 1–5 |
| February | 13–15, 20–22 |
| March | 27–30 |
| April | 2–6, 9–12 |
| May | 1–4, 22–31 |
| June | 6–7, 12–14, 19–21, 26–28 |
| July | 3–5, 10–13, 15–20, 22–31 |
| August | 1–31 (entire month) |
| September | 1, 4–6, 11–13, 18–20, 25–27 |
| October | 23–25, 30–31 |
| November | 1, 21, 29 |
| December | 11–12, 18–24, 26–31 |
These dates are for British Airways. Iberia and Aer Lingus publish their own, different peak calendars, so a date that is off-peak on BA may be peak on Iberia and vice versa. Check the airline you are actually flying.
The saving depends heavily on cabin and distance. Short-haul economy moves only a little; long-haul premium cabins move a lot. These figures are illustrative of the pattern rather than a live price list.
| Journey type | Typical off-peak saving | Per person, each way |
|---|---|---|
| Short-haul economy | Small | ~1,000–2,000 Avios |
| Short-haul Club Europe | Modest | ~2,000–4,000 Avios |
| Long-haul premium economy | Large | up to ~38,500 Avios |
| Long-haul business (Club World) | Large | ~10,000–27,500 Avios per sector |
Illustrative ranges based on typical 2026 award charts; exact savings vary by route and date. Use the reward flight cost calculator to compare two specific dates.
Because partner airlines price differently, a partner redemption can sometimes beat BA on a peak date — it is always worth checking. Our guide to Qatar Airways Avios pricing explains one such alternative.
Combine off-peak timing with a sensible redemption and you get the best of both worlds. For the wider picture on what a reward flight really costs, see our taxes and fees explainer.
The AviosArcana Editorial Team
We decode the British Airways loyalty programme in plain English, cross-checking every figure against BA’s published calendars. Peak dates change each year, so always confirm your exact date at booking.