when are flights cheapest

Flights are usually cheapest when you avoid peak days, peak seasons, and book in a “sweet spot” window rather than super last‑minute or a full year out.

Quick Scoop: When Are Flights Cheapest?

• Fly mid‑week (especially Tuesday or Wednesday) and sometimes Saturday; avoid Fridays and Sundays, which are usually priciest.

• Book several weeks to a few months ahead: roughly 1–3 months for many short‑haul routes, and longer (3–6+ months) for big international trips.

• Travel in off‑peak months (e.g., after New Year, late January–February, shoulder seasons like April–May or September–early November) instead of holidays and school breaks.

• Use price alerts and flexible date searches: tools like Google Flights, KAYAK, Hopper, Skyscanner, etc., make it far easier to catch dips and flash sales.

Best Days to Fly vs Best Days to Book

There’s a big difference between the cheapest days to fly and the best days to click buy.

Cheaper days to fly

Most data sets point to lower prices on less popular travel days:

• Domestic:
  • Often cheapest: Tuesday, Wednesday, and sometimes Saturday.

* Most expensive: Sunday (and often Friday) because everyone’s starting or ending trips.

• International:
  • Cheaper departure days: Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday on many routes.

* Most expensive: Sunday is a recurring “bad value” day.

These are tendencies, not iron rules: specific routes, airlines, and events can override the usual pattern.

Cheapest days to book

The old “you must book on Tuesday at midnight” advice is overrated now. Recent analyses show:

• Sunday often comes out slightly cheaper to book on, with average savings vs Friday, but the difference is small (single‑digit percentages).

• Google’s data suggested weekday vs weekend booking day doesn’t change prices dramatically overall.

• Some studies see tiny edges for early‑morning bookings (roughly 5–9 a.m. local time) when fares may reset, but it’s not a magic hack.

In other words: focusing on when you fly and how far ahead you buy matters more than the exact weekday you click purchase.

How Far in Advance Are Flights Cheapest?

Think in terms of “sweet spot” ranges, not one perfect date.

Domestic (short‑haul) flights

• Many routes are cheapest roughly 1–3 months before departure, especially outside major holidays.

• For very popular dates (e.g., a long weekend, a big sports event), prices can spike earlier, so shopping 2–4 months out can be safer.

International (long‑haul) flights

• Big trips (e.g., US–Europe or Europe–Asia) often reward booking several months ahead:
  • Around 3–6 months before departure is a common “good value” window, and up to 6+ months for peak summer or Christmas.

• A twist: some datasets show that for certain international routes, the cheapest fares can appear fairly close in (even a few weeks out), so price alerts matter a lot here.

Holidays and peak seasons

• Holidays like Christmas, New Year, and Thanksgiving, plus school breaks and big summer weeks, usually require earlier action:
  • Best prices often show up 1–3 months before for domestic holiday travel and 2–6+ months for international.

• Flying on the holiday (e.g., Christmas Day or Thanksgiving Day) is often cheaper than the days just before or after.

Off‑Peak Months and Times

The calendar month you pick often matters more than the exact day of the week.

Typical cheaper periods (varies by region):

• Late January–February: After the New Year’s surge, demand falls and fares often follow.

• Shoulder seasons: April–May and September–early November are often cheaper than midsummer and Christmas in many markets.

• Midweek flights, early morning or late‑night departures, and “awkward” times (like very late or very early) tend to be less popular and thus sometimes cheaper.

More expensive periods:

• School holidays, big summer weeks, long weekends, big events, and December holidays generally push prices up hard.

Simple Strategy You Can Actually Use

Instead of chasing one “magic” day, use a repeatable plan.

1. Decide how flexible you are.
   • If dates are fixed (e.g., wedding, conference), start watching prices as soon as you can, ideally months in advance.

 * If you’re flexible, search by month or “flexible dates” and let the calendar show you cheaper days.

2. Use tools, not guesses.
   • Turn on price alerts in Google Flights, KAYAK, Skyscanner, Hopper, etc.; they’ll ping you when prices drop or when you’re in the sweet spot.

 * Compare airlines but try to book direct once you’ve spotted a good fare; that usually makes changes and disruptions easier to manage.

3. Aim for the sweet spot window.
   • Domestic: start tracking 2–3 months out; buy any time prices dip clearly below your budget.

 * International: start 4–8 months out; if prices look good in that range, don’t wait for a miracle last‑minute drop.

4. Be flexible with departure days.
   • If your search shows Tuesday/Wednesday/Saturday much cheaper than Friday/Sunday, shift your dates by a day or two.

 * Sometimes leaving just one day earlier or later changes the price dramatically on busy routes.

5. Avoid common myths.
   • There’s no universal rule like “always book exactly 47 days before” that works for every route and season.

 * “It’s always cheapest on Tuesday” is outdated; patterns are fuzzier now and vary more by route and demand than by weekday.

Quick Reference Table

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Scenario	Cheapest days to fly (typical)	When to book (approx.)	What to avoid
Domestic, non‑holiday	Tue, Wed, Sat	1–3 months before	Sun departures, booking within last 1–2 weeks unless it’s a true last‑minute trip
International, non‑holiday	Wed, Thu, Sat	3–6+ months before, depending on route	Waiting until the final weeks for popular routes and seasons
Holiday periods	Often the holiday day itself (e.g., Dec 25)	1–3 months before domestic, 2–6+ months for long‑haul	Fridays/Sundays before and after the holiday, booking at the last minute
Ultra‑budget flexible trip	Any low‑demand day; often Tue/Wed	Watch prices over weeks; book whenever there’s a clear drop vs average	Locking into fixed dates and airports when you could be flexible

TL;DR

• Cheapest to fly : usually mid‑week (Tue/Wed) and sometimes Saturday, not Friday/Sunday.

• Cheapest to book : focus on the right advance window (months, not days), and use alerts rather than betting on a specific weekday.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.