British Airways has launched its latest sale, covering destinations across Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and the Caribbean.

The headline prices are certainly eye-catching. The airline is advertising return flights from London to Los Angeles from £402, Singapore from £589, Las Vegas from £470, Tokyo from £780 and Melbourne from £847.

There are European Business Class fares from £100 each way, while British Airways Holidays is promoting city breaks from £179 per person and selected beach holidays from £319.

The sale runs until the 29th September 2026, although the cheapest fares are limited to selected travel dates and could disappear before then. British Airways’ current sale displays the latest advertised prices.

But are these genuine bargains, or simply ordinary fares presented beneath a sale banner?

The sale covers both flight-only bookings and British Airways Holidays packages, so it is important to distinguish between the two.

Flight-only examples currently advertised by BA include:

The holiday prices are different. BA is advertising Orlando holidays from £599 per person, Barbados from £779, European city breaks from £179 and beach holidays from £319.

Those package prices ordinarily assume two people sharing a room and can include conditions relating to the hotel, duration and departure date. They should not be compared directly with flight-only fares.

A return flight from London to Los Angeles for £402 represents good value, particularly if the itinerary is nonstop and the dates work for you.

Los Angeles is a long flight from the UK, with direct journeys typically taking around 11 hours. A fare close to £400 therefore compares favourably with what passengers can sometimes pay to reach much nearer destinations.

However, the £402 price is a lead-in fare for travel in November 2026. It does not mean that every November departure will be available at that price. Travelling over a weekend, around Thanksgiving or on particularly convenient flights could cost considerably more.

Passengers should also check whether the cheapest option is an Economy Basic fare without checked baggage. Once luggage and advance seating are added, the final cost could look rather different.

Even with those warnings, Los Angeles from £402 is one of the better offers in the sale.

British Airways is advertising London to Singapore from £589 return for travel in April 2027.

For a nonstop journey between the UK and Southeast Asia, that is a strong fare. Indirect airlines may sometimes offer a lower price, but adding a connection can increase the journey by several hours and create another opportunity for disruption or missed baggage.

The comparison should therefore be between equivalent journeys. A £540 itinerary involving a lengthy overnight connection is not necessarily better value than a £589 nonstop flight.

Passengers should check the timings carefully because availability at the headline price may be concentrated on less popular days. The fare conditions and checked-baggage allowance should also be confirmed before payment.

Nevertheless, if the £589 price is available for suitable direct flights, it is one of the standout long-haul deals in the promotion.

British Airways is advertising London to Las Vegas from £470 return for travel in November 2026.

That is not a bad fare for a nonstop transatlantic service, but rival pricing suggests it is not exceptional.

Virgin Atlantic has recently displayed London Heathrow to Las Vegas from £422 return for selected October 2026 dates. It has also shown June 2027 fares from £433. The dates are different, so this is not a direct comparison, but it demonstrates that sub-£470 fares are available elsewhere.

Virgin’s lowest advertised fares may be hand-baggage-only tickets, and optional extras can increase the final price. BA could still be the better choice if it offers more convenient dates, a checked bag or preferable flight times.

The lesson is simple: do not book the £470 fare solely because it carries a sale label. Check Virgin Atlantic and any suitable indirect alternatives first.

British Airways is advertising selected US flights from £402 return. That is competitive, but Virgin Atlantic is currently offering Heathrow to New York JFK from £388 return on numerous dates.

Examples displayed by Virgin include departures on:

Virgin says these fares have been collected within the previous 48 hours and warns that its cheapest tickets may include hand baggage only. Virgin Atlantic’s current London to New York fares show prices starting from £388 return.

A difference of £14 is hardly enough to determine which airline passengers should choose. Flight times, airports, baggage, seating and frequent-flyer benefits could all outweigh it.

It does, however, show that BA’s sale is not automatically producing the lowest fare in the market.

London to Melbourne from £847 return in January 2027 is another strong headline offer.

Australia fares have been particularly volatile, and sub-£900 returns from London are not always easy to find. Etihad’s current fare page has recently shown January 2027 itineraries from approximately £968 return, travelling via Abu Dhabi. Etihad’s London to Melbourne page lists its current offers.

At headline level, BA is approximately £121 cheaper.

However, passengers must compare the full itinerary. British Airways does not operate a nonstop flight from London to Melbourne, so the journey will include a connection and may involve a partner airline. The connecting airport, operating carrier, baggage arrangements and total travel time all matter.

Even so, £847 is a good starting price for Australia and deserves closer investigation.

BA’s £780 return fare from London to Tokyo is available for selected travel in November 2026.

This is a respectable price for a direct flight, but it is not low enough to book without checking alternatives. Japan Airlines may offer similar pricing, while indirect carriers can sometimes bring the fare down further.

The value will depend on whether the advertised price applies to convenient Heathrow to Haneda flights. Haneda is generally more convenient for central Tokyo than Narita, which can make a slightly higher fare worthwhile.

Tokyo from £780 is therefore fair, particularly for a direct Haneda service, but it is not the most impressive bargain in the promotion.

The first price displayed is not always the final price.

British Airways sells different Economy fare types. Economy Basic is normally the cheapest and does not include checked baggage. Standard Economy generally includes one checked bag weighing up to 23kg.

BA’s cabin-baggage allowance remains useful for passengers travelling lightly, but many people taking a long-haul trip will need a suitcase.

A traveller comparing BA with another airline should check:

The Standard fare can sometimes offer better overall value than buying a Basic ticket and adding baggage separately. It may also provide different conditions relating to changes or seat selection.

Readers should proceed beyond the initial search screen and compare the complete booking before deciding whether the sale price is genuinely cheap.

Seat selection is another cost easily overlooked when evaluating an advertised fare.

Unless complimentary selection is included through status, fare type or specific circumstances, BA passengers may have to pay to choose seats before check-in. Prices vary according to the route, aircraft and location within the cabin.

A couple selecting seats together on both the outbound and return flights could add a meaningful amount to the booking. Extra-legroom or exit-row seats will cost more again.

British Airways Club members with eligible status may receive complimentary seat selection at different points before departure. Other passengers can wait until check-in, but there is no guarantee that preferred seats or places together will remain available.

BA explains the applicable options in its seat-selection guidance.

Low cash fares can make reward flights less attractive.

Suppose a return flight to the United States costs £402. If a reward booking requires a substantial number of Avios plus several hundred pounds in taxes, fees and carrier charges, the saving may be too small to justify spending the points.

The simplest calculation is:

Cash fare minus the reward booking’s cash payment, divided by the number of Avios required.

This produces an approximate value for each Avios used.

There are circumstances where an Avios booking may still make sense:

But when BA is selling long-haul Economy tickets for £402 or £589 return, paying cash and saving the Avios for a more expensive journey could be the better choice.

Passengers should also consider the Avios and tier points they may earn from a cash booking, subject to the rules applying to their ticket and British Airways Club account.

British Airways’ latest sale contains some genuinely attractive prices, but not every fare is a market-leading bargain.

Singapore from £589, Los Angeles from £402 and Melbourne from £847 are the strongest flight-only offers. Tokyo from £780 is reasonable, while Las Vegas from £470 deserves comparison with Virgin Atlantic before booking.

The biggest danger is treating the first advertised figure as the final cost. Baggage, seat selection and fare restrictions can change the calculation, while a rival airline may offer a lower price without calling it a sale.

The best deal is not necessarily the one with the biggest sale banner. It is the itinerary that remains good value after every necessary extra has been added.

Prices checked on the 15th September 2026 at 12:00pm. All fares are subject to availability and may change at any time.