Looking to score hundreds of dollars in savings on your next flight? And the secret isn’t luck — it’s timing. The right time to click that “book now” button can mean the difference between paying full price and snagging a deal that leaves some cash in your wallet for your actual trip.
You don’t have to go broke in the process, either. Every year, millions of passengers overpay for air travel just because they don’t know what day airlines usually cut prices. The fact is that there is a science to the pricing of flights, and once you understand how it works, you’ll never buy tickets the same way again.
In this guide we are breaking down everything you need to know when it comes to booking flights at the right time. From what day of the week to book offers for the best deals, to how far in advance you should be making searches and bookings, we’ve got the insider tips from experts that could save you big.
Why Flights Cost So Much
Before we get too far into the days you should be booking your next trip, let’s take a moment to discuss why ticket prices bounce up and down like passengers on the Tower of Terror. Airlines engage in something known as “dynamic pricing.” It’s what you think of when someone else pays a different price for the same thing you bought based on demand, competition and how much is left.
Consider it this way: A flight with many empty seats and more than a week away from the date of departure, and airlines want to fill those seats so they might reduce prices. But the plane starts filling up and you get closer to your travel date, prices often rise because they know that some people will pay whatever it takes to get onto that flight.
There is also competition between airlines. When one airline reduces fares between cities on a popular route, others frequently follow as they strive to remain competitive. This can make for windows of opportunity: times a good deal is available — you just have to know to look.
Tuesday and Wednesday: Your Frugal Heroes
Here’s the golden rule that savvy travelers swear by: on Tuesday or Wednesday, book your flights for the best chance at affordable prices. Why these two days? Let me explain.
New sale fare offerings are generally posted to the airline’s website on Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, other airlines see these sales and begin matching or undercutting those prices. That sets off a pricing battle that tends to reach its climax Tuesday and Wednesday before leveling out by the end of the week.
What Makes Tuesday Special
Tuesday gets its fair share of hype as the best day to book flights for several reasons. On Tuesday, after the fare sales drop on Monday, airlines watch their competitors and tweak prices. By the afternoon of Tuesday (around 3 p.m. Eastern time), you’ll have the lowest prices of the week.
Research has found that booking on Tuesday can save travelers an average of 15% compared with booking on Sunday, which tends to be the most expensive day. That’s a lot of money, especially on international flights or for larger families.
Wednesday Works Too
By the way, if you miss out on Tuesday’s deals, do not despair. Wednesday has good prices but they can be slightly higher than Tuesday’s rock-bottom rates. The Tuesday pricing war competition frequently carries over to Wednesday so you have a second opportunity to save.
Average Prices by Booking Day
- Sunday: $385
- Monday: $362
- Tuesday: $318
- Wednesday: $325
- Thursday: $348
- Friday: $372
- Saturday: $378
Data is the price of an average domestic fare for major U.S. routes
Days to Avoid Booking
As crucial as knowing the best days is knowing which ones to avoid. Sunday is the worst day to book flights – prices are between 10 and 20% higher than midweek. Friday and Saturday are hardly better.
Why are weekend prices higher? Because that’s when people are most likely to have the free time to browse and book flights. Airlines are aware of this and price their fares accordingly. They are wagering that those browsing on weekends will be more inclined to book impulsively, without checking prices elsewhere, so they keep rates high.
When Should You Book?
When you book is important not only for the day of the week, but also how many weeks or months in advance to purchase a ticket. The sweet spot depends on where and when you’re flying.
Domestic Flights: 1-3 Months
For domestic flights within your country, it is generally better to book 1-3 months in advance. Booking too far in advance (more than 4 months) does not usually yield monetary savings, as airlines haven’t entered the price war yet. The worst time by far is last minute — as in, even a week before a flight, prices spike within the final two or three weeks.
The best week to buy domestic travel is usually 6-7 weeks before your trip. That’s when airlines make most of their seats available and begin adjusting fares according to demand, though before that last-minute surge.
International Flights: Plan Ahead
International travel is more complicated to arrange in advance. The best deals are usually published 2 to 6 months in advance. For popular international fare on peak season flights, 3-4 months is when you should be paying the best price.
This is a big exception: If you are flexible and courageous, you might get last-minute deals, as airlines desperately try to fill the little capacity that remains. This approach is only viable if you’re able to handle the risk of not having a flight at all or being forced into terrible times.
For more travel tips and flight booking resources, visit https://calltoflights.com.
| Flight Type | Ideal Booking Time | Average Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Economy | 1-3 months before | 20–30% |
| Domestic Peak Season | 2-3 months before | 15–25% |
| International Economy | 2-6 months before | 25–35% |
| International Peak Season | 3-5 months before | 20–30% |
| Holiday Travel | 3-6 months before | 30–40% |
Best Days to Fly (Not Just Book)
There’s a second secret, and that is the day you fly is just as important as when you buy. Flying on less busy days can dramatically reduce your ticket price.
Flights on Tuesday and Wednesday Are Cheaper
Notice a pattern? Tuesday and Wednesday not only provide you the highest chance of finding a cheap flight to begin with, but they’re also the least expensive days for flying in general. There is less demand for midweek flights, with people at work or in school, so airlines lower prices to fill seats.
If you can manage it, flying out on a Tuesday or Wednesday and returning on either of those days or Saturday can really save you. Steer clear of Friday and Sunday flights like the plague — those are peak travel days, with peak prices to match.
Early Morning and Red-Eye Flights
No one wants to get up at 4 a.m. for the 6 a.m. flight, do we? That’s why there are cheaper red-eye early-morning flights. Also applies to red-eye flights (overnight flights). You might save 20% or so off the price of afternoon and evening flights if you can deal with the inconvenience.
Pro Tip: Stack tactics for the ultimate discount. Book on a Tuesday for a Tuesday (or Wednesday) flight in the early morning, 6-8 weeks before your journey. This is a combo that can save you hundreds of dollars off the price of a single ticket.
Seasonal Secrets for Extra Savings
When you travel has a huge effect on pricing. There is a high season (expensive) and a shoulder season (moderate) and an off-season (cheap) for each destination.
Skip Peak Season
Peak season varies by destination. In Europe, summer (June-August) is high season. In the Caribbean, prices rise in winter (December-March). Shoulder season—just before or after the prime traveling months—offers deals on itineraries 30-50% cheaper, and still fairly good weather.
Holiday Booking Strategy
Flying home during the busiest times? Book early—very early. For Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, begin shopping three to six months ahead. Holiday travel prices only soar as the date nears, never dwindle.
But if you can be flexible about flying on the holiday itself (e.g., Christmas Day / Thanksgiving Day), airplane tickets come cheap, too: because nobody wants to travel on the holiday itself.
Key Stats
- 54 days – The best time to buy domestic flight tickets
- $50-$150 – Amount you could save on that trip by buying on Tuesday instead of Sunday
- 3 PM – Best time of day on Tuesday to shop for deals
Smart Tools and Strategies
There is no need to constantly check prices. There are tools today that can take care of the heavy lifting.
Price Alert Tools
Create price alerts through platforms like Google Flights, Hopper or Kayak. These tools track fares for your selected route and notify you when they’ve dropped. It’s as though you had a personal shopper who never snoozes.
Clear Your Cookies
Here’s something most travelers don’t know: Airlines and booking sites keep track of your search history through cookies. The longer a flight search site knows you’re interested in a specific flight, the higher the price is likely to rise. If you look up the same flight several times — especially during peak ticket-buying season — it’s like saying to the website: I’m close to giving up! And that will cost you. Use ‘incognito’ or private browsing to avoid this.
Compare Multiple Sources
Do not book the first flight you find. Consult several sites: airline sites (if you don’t mind the time and inconvenience of flight changes), Google Flights, Kayak, Skyscanner and Momondo. The same flight can cost $50 to $100 more on some sites than it does on others.
Be Flexible
When it comes to hunting for cheap flights, flexibility is your superpower. If you can shift your flight a few days or don’t mind flying into other airports in the area, you may find far better deals. Airlines have a “flexible dates” feature on their websites, but most flight search engines also do this for you in seconds, leaving you with the knowledge of when to fly and low prices compared to others.
Mistakes We All Make
Here are some of the mistakes smart travelers make that can send those ticket prices soaring:
Booking too late: Last-minute bargains are pretty much a myth. Airlines are well aware that stranded travelers will gladly pay premium prices.
Dismissing a budget airline: Despite the extra charges you might have to pay with one of these carriers, the base fare is typically around 50% cheaper than that offered by major airlines.
Disregarding layovers: Direct flights are easy, but they can be costly. A 30-40% savings by adding at least one layover.
Automatically booking round trip: In some cases, it can be cheaper to purchase two one-way tickets on different airlines than one round-trip ticket.
Neglecting the possibility of flying in and out of nearby airports: By landing at or taking off from a smaller airport 50 miles away, you can save just enough to pay for your rental car.
Special Situations: When Rules Change
Business Travel
The rules change a bit if you’re booking business travel. Because business travelers typically book at the last minute, airlines keep prices high on Monday morning and Friday evening flights. If you can, fly Tuesday-Thursday and book at least 2-3 weeks in advance.
Group Travel
Group of 10 or more looking to book a flight? Don’t use regular booking sites. Call the airline’s group desk direct. They both have special pricing and can frequently hold seats at a locked in price while you get your travelers to agree, which regular online booking won’t do.
Money Saver
Join airline newsletters and follow on social media. Airlines often release flash sales to their subscribers first, which means you’re getting a head start on limited time deals. Just make sure the sale doesn’t pressure you into booking a trip you don’t have to take.
Putting It All Together
Now you know all the secrets to booking cheaper flights. Let’s recap the winning strategy:
✓ Book early in the day on Tuesday or Wednesday, with a slight preference for late afternoon Tuesday at 3PM ET.
✓ Stay away from booking on the weekends, especially Sunday.
✓ Domestic flights should be booked 1-3 months in advance, while it’s best to book international flights 2-6 months out.
✓ Fly Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday for the lowest fares.
✓ Look for early morning or red-eye flights to save even more.
✓ Travel during shoulder, not peak, seasons.
✓ Shop around with price alerts and multiple booking sites.
✓ Remain flexible on dates and airports.
The lines between paying full price and getting a deal can frequently be drawn out along these relatively simple timing strategies. Good things come to those who can wait a little longer and do some planning, whether in the form of hundreds of dollars in savings or more value for doing the same trip you were going to take anyway.
Keep in mind that airlines are motivated to fill up their airplanes, and they adjust prices all the time to do just that. You’re just taking advantage of the normal rhythm of airline pricing when you book at the right time. It’s not about gaming the system, it’s working within the system.
Begin to use these strategies next time you travel. Create a price alert, as well as track how prices fluctuate throughout the week and purchase when Tuesday arrives. After the savings start rolling you won’t book randomly again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it really cheaper to book flights on Tuesday?
Indeed, Tuesday — particularly late afternoon and evening — is the best day to book both domestic and international flights. Airlines post sales Monday evening, and by Tuesday other airlines have matched prices, leading to the best deals of the week. You may save 10-20% over booking on the weekend.
Q: How far ahead should I book a flight for the best price?
For flights within the US, plan to book 1-3 months before departure (depending on how far in advance your departure date is). And for international flights, book 2 to 6 months in advance. Holiday travel demands even more lead time—try to book 3-6 months ahead. Whether you book too early or too late, it’s likely to cost you more.
Q: Do the prices of flights really jump up if I search a route frequently?
This is partially true. Airlines and online travel agencies use cookies to track your search for flight deals, and some may raise the price based on perceived interest. As a precaution, look in incognito or private browsing mode when you’re ready to book. That can inhibit tracking and show you more accurate prices.
Q: When should I book a flight — is it better to purchase tickets at the airport or in advance?
Generally, around 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday is the sweet spot because that’s when airlines have finished adjusting their prices after Monday night’s sale announcements and competitor responses. But the day is more important than the exact hour — booking Tuesday or Wednesday matters more than the time of day.
Q: Do last minute flight deals exist?
Sometimes, yes, but not consistently. Airlines occasionally slash prices at the last minute to fill unoccupied seats, but it is unusual. More frequently, the prices take off higher in the last minute because the airlines know that some travelers will have no choice but to pay. Do not expect last minute deals, unless you are extremely flexible.
Q: Should I book through the airline or a third-party website?
Check both. Compare prices on third-party sites like Google Flights or Kayak, but if you find a good deal, go directly to the airline’s site to check its price — sometimes it will match or even beat that of a third-party. Booking direct also simplifies changes and cancellations, should you need them.
Q: Is there actually a difference in price if you fly only on very specific days?
Absolutely. Tuesday and Wednesday flights are about 20%-30% cheaper than Friday and Sunday flights. Early morning flights (before 8 AM departure) or red-eyes are also often cheaper because not many people want those times.
Q: What is the best way to know when flight prices drop?
Establish price alerts on Google Flights, Hopper, Kayak or Skyscanner. The following tools will alert you when prices fall on the routes and dates you specify — so long as they offer email subscriptions. This means you don’t need to constantly check prices each day, the tools keep track for you.
For more expert travel advice and the best flight deals, visit https://calltoflights.com.
