The Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly (2024)

The Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly (1)

Traveling is exciting, adventurous, and fun. But it can also be costly. Many budget-conscious travelers want to know the best day to buy airline tickets and the cheapest day to fly. However, the day can vary depending on where you’re going and when. While there isn’t a magic day that guarantees repeated unbeatable flight deals, there are days of the week that are likely to be less expensive when booking and flying. Below, we’ll discuss everything we know. We’ll also discuss a few additional tips and tricks, like staying flexible with travel dates and attentive to rapidly changing flight prices, to help you snag a fantastic travel deal.

The Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly (2)Freepik

When Is the Best Day to Book a Flight?

The truth is that there isn’t one best day to book flights. Historically, airlines have launched new sales on Tuesdays, and many still think the best day to buy airline tickets is Tuesday. While this can often be the case, it’s not always. The reality is that flight prices change all the time. Nowadays, airline ticket sales patterns are very unpredictable. For example, any day of the week, airlines can offer flash sales or even lower costs for a short time to match a competing airline. Adjusting to real-time demand, the price of a flight can even change based on the time of day. Ticket prices from Tuesday morning can jump by Tuesday night.

Since airline ticket price changes are unpredictable, it’s not necessarily the best option to wait until Tuesday to book flights. The best day to book flights is whatever day a deal pops up. While that may be on a Tuesday, it may also be on any other day of the week. Luckily, modern technology can help.

To determine the best day to book flights, set up a price alert. It's tough to stay on top of the ever-changing flight fluctuations. Setting up a price alert makes it feel like you have an assistant helping you out. There are quite a few options out there. For example, Hopper, Google Flights, Kayak, and Skyscanner can all scour the web to find the best deals and keep you apprised via email when flight prices drop. Setting up a price alert is a top tool for finding the best day to book airline tickets.

The Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly (3)Unsplash

When Is the Best Time to Fly?

The cheapest day to fly is different for domestic versus international flights. Here's what you need to know.

Domestic Flights

Tuesday and Wednesday are often less in demand and, therefore, are considered the cheapest time to fly. Sunday is the most expensive day to fly. This applies equally to economy, business class, and first-class travelers. If Tuesday and Wednesday aren't viable travel days, try Saturday and Monday. They’re the next cheapest days to fly and can save passengers up to 15% per ticket.

International Flights

The prices of international flights don't fluctuate as much as they do for domestic flights. If you're flying abroad, consider jetting off on Wednesday or Thursday. You can save up to 12% on ticket prices. If possible, avoid flying on Sunday, which is typically the most expensive day of the week.

The Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly (4)Unsplash

More Tips to Save Money When Booking a Flight

While keeping in mind the best day to book flights and the cheapest day to fly, there are a few other things you can do to minimize costs when booking your ticket. If possible, be flexible with dates, book in advance, and don’t be afraid to rebook if you spot a lower price.

Stay Flexible

Sure, it’s not always possible, but being flexible with travel dates can potentially save you hundreds of dollars. Research other travel dates for better deals. You can usually use the calendar view on airline search pages to see the cost of flights on different days. Also, look into nearby airports that may be cheaper to fly into.

Book in Advance

The best time to book domestic flights is often one to three months in advance. For international flights, you should book even further in advance — two to eight months out. Prices can surge in the weeks leading up to your desired travel dates. Plus, if you wait until the last minute, it might be difficult to get a good seat or even a seat on the plane at all!

Rebook for a Cheaper Price

If you’ve already booked your flight and you see a flash sale with a better deal, don’t worry. You may be able to cancel your previously booked flight and save money by booking at a lower price. First of all, check your change and cancellation policy. These days, many airlines have adopted flexible plans. Check the policy to see if there is a fee for canceling or changing. Based on the cost, if any, and the price of the new discounted fare, decide how you can save the most money. However, keep in mind that many airlines will only give you a travel voucher when canceling.

No matter what day you decide to book your flights or when you choose to travel, stay connected at your destination with an eSIM. With an eSIM from Airalo, you can instantly connect to a mobile network upon arrival. They're also cost-effective and straightforward to use.Just download the app (iOS | Android) or visit the Airalo website, choose a destination and eSIM package, and install and activate the eSIM. It’s that easy!

The Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly (2024)

FAQs

What day of the week is best to book a flight? ›

While Tuesday is the cheapest day to book a flight in general, this is not the case for all airlines. In fact, Sunday is the best day to book a flight with American Airlines, JetBlue, and United Airlines.

Do flight prices go down on Tuesday? ›

Google Flights agrees. On average, flights on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday are 12% cheaper than those on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

What time of the day is the cheapest to book a flight? ›

Before airline revenue management systems were automated, there might've been a specific "drop time" when an airline would change fares. But given the dynamic pricing model, airfare can change at any moment. So there's truly no reason to look for flights at a specific time of day.

How many days before a flight is the best price? ›

The Bottom Line

The best time to book airfare is within a window of 21 to 74 days before you plan to fly, and the cheapest tickets are generally on mid-week flights. You can also save if you use an airline miles credit card to book flights that help you earn miles or points toward future air travel.

Should I book my flight on a Monday or Tuesday? ›

You may not get cheaper airfare by booking on a specific day, but when you plan on flying can affect the price of the ticket. Generally, Mondays and Fridays are more expensive than Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Is Tuesday morning the best time to book flights? ›

Adjusting to real-time demand, the price of a flight can even change based on the time of day. Ticket prices from Tuesday morning can jump by Tuesday night. Since airline ticket price changes are unpredictable, it's not necessarily the best option to wait until Tuesday to book flights.

What is the most expensive day to book a flight? ›

Which day of the week delivers the lowest price for airline tickets? Per this latest study, the early-workweek bird snags the cheapest fare.

Is it true that flights are cheaper at midnight? ›

The price of airline tickets can change frequently based on various factors like demand, the time of year, and how close the travel date is. While some people believe that buying tickets at night can lead to better deals, there's no strong evidence to support this consistently.

Do flight tickets get cheaper closer to the date? ›

There's a long-standing travel myth that flights get cheaper as the departure date nears because airlines desperately lower the price to fill more seats. But airlines tend to save their highest fares for last-minute purchasers, especially on popular routes.

What is the cheapest airline to fly? ›

JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit often have cheap flights, while airlines like United Airlines and American Airlines also offer domestic flight deals. According to an analysis by the AirAdvisor website, Frontier Airlines is the cheapest airline, since it records the lowest total passenger revenue per seat mile.

What is a good day to buy airline tickets? ›

While booking your flight on a Sunday helps you get the lowest price, actually flying on a Thursday may help you save an average of 16 percent off airfare. Data shows that, almost across the board, travelers who flew on Thursdays instead of Sunday saved this much on both domestic and international flights.

How far in advance should you book a flight to get the best deal? ›

A new study is solving the eternal question of when to book your flight for the best price. According to CheapAir.com's Annual Airfare Study, booking a ticket at least three weeks before departing, and no more than 2.5 months in advance, is the sweet spot for snagging the best flight deal.

What is the best day of the week to book flights to USA? ›

Tuesday is often believed to be a cheaper day to book flights because airlines often release sales starting from Monday night or Tuesday morning. This means that if you happen to look at flights on a Tuesday after a sale starts, you will probably get better flight deals than you would if searching on a Saturday.

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