According to Google, fares are less expensive if you fly in the middle of the week, rather than on the weekend. Over the past five years, flights that took off Monday to Wednesday were, on average, 12% to 20% cheaper than weekend flights. Sundays are a particularly expensive day to depart, Google said.
While booking your flight on a Sunday helps you get the lowest price, actually flying domestically on a Wednesday may help you save 15 percent off airfare. Data shows that, almost across the board, travelers who flew on Wednesdays instead of the beginning of a week saved this much on domestic flights.
The Worst Days of the Week to Fly
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the best days to fly domestically. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are the days with the highest cost and lowest number of award seats.
Best Day of the Week to Fly Domestic
The general rule is that mid-week flights will be cheaper and quieter. For domestic flights, Wednesday is the ideal day to fly to your destination, according to Hopper. Alternatively, the best day to fly home is a Tuesday.
He added: “Conversely Sunday is one the busiest days of the week for flights: end of long weekends, longer holidays and getting in position for the working week.” Another study also found that the worst day of the week to fly was Sunday, as people were the least happy.
The worst days to fly are Sunday, Monday, and Friday. Those days have the most demand causing flight prices to be more expensive.
Study says avoid Sunday flights. Before you book your flights, you may want to think about changing the day you fly. New research has found that flying on a Sunday is the worst day of the week.
Days of the week can impact the ticket price, along with delays. Weekdays as opposed to weekends may have more business travelers in relation to leisure travelers. Heavy commuter days, such as Mondays and Fridays will increase the price of a ticket, and subsequently the amount of congestion both on land and in the air.
According to Google, fares are less expensive if you fly in the middle of the week, rather than on the weekend. Over the past five years, flights that took off Monday to Wednesday were, on average, 12% to 20% cheaper than weekend flights. Sundays are a particularly expensive day to depart, Google said.
Impact on your trip to the airport
“The paradigm used to be, (with) business travelers, Monday mornings were really busy. It has switched over,” Howell said, noting that Fridays and Sundays now tend to be the busiest days of the week as flyers travel for the purposes of weekend getaways.
In most years, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is actually the busiest travel day for U.S. airports, according to the Transportation Security Administration, which tracks the numbers of passengers screened daily. Two days before Christmas and one day before Thanksgiving also tend to draw big airport crowds.
For many airports, the most busy time of operation is during the workday (between 8 am and 5 pm). Crowds often begin tapering off around 6 pm with some of the least busy times being in the late evening. If it's at all possible to leave in the evening, we recommend taking a flight at around 9:30 pm or later.
The truth is that the mid-day flights on Tuesday and Wednesday are less popular, and therefore both less crowded and less expensive! We always recommend a mid-week flight for just these reasons. So, if you can't stomach the idea of waking up at 3am to catch a less crowded flight, you can still avoid the worst crowds.
The early bird may be known for catching the worm, but it also catches the best flights. In fact, people who get the first flight in the morning can usually expect a smoother trip, friendlier staff, a cleaner plane and, often, a cheaper ticket.
Q: Is it easier to fly at night or day? A: It is probably easier to fly during the day due to the improved visibility. However, a peaceful night flight is most enjoyable.
Sunday is the best day of the week to book flights, unlocking cheaper rates that are 5% to 20% lower than rates found on peak booking days (Friday and Saturday).
For U.S. flights, this is the best time to book your flight. More specifically, Tuesday at about 15:00 eastern time. This is because many airlines release weekly sales early on Tuesday, which creates competition between airlines to match prices.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are excellent days of the week to depart or return from your trip when you're flying internationally. You won't save quite as much as you would with domestic flights, but 10-12% savings can really add up when you're talking about an expensive trip abroad.
If you take a flight late in the day, the ground has had more time to heat up, which can cause "bumpier air" and lead to turbulence onboard. In fact, there are more chances of there being a thunderstorm in the afternoon compared to the morning, which can make a rough flight even worse.
“Roughly, you've got a 30% less chance of getting a long delay or cancellation if you go out in the morning,” said Kathleen Bangs, a former commercial airline pilot and current spokesperson for the flight-tracking site FlightAware.
According to Expedia's 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report, flights departing in the morning are less likely to be delayed than those taking off in the late afternoon and evening.
"There are two types of flights that have the best on-time performance: early morning flights and/or nonstop flights." In fact, last year, 86 percent of 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. flights arrived on-time, compared to just 66 percent of 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. flights, according to Going.
It is worth doing some research into the airport you are flying from. However, Tuesday and Wednesday are often less busy. This is because you have to take more days off work to fly mid-week, which people are usually reluctant to do. Upgraded Points notes that these days are also often cheaper.
When you're traveling within the United States, we make the suggestion to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure. For most airports, you must be checked in at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time (airports requiring additional time are listed below, Go to footer note).