Are flights usually cheaper in the morning?

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.



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Flying at unpopular hours, such as the red-eye or early in the morning, instead of the late morning through afternoon, increases your chance of getting the best deal.

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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.

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The reality is that flight prices change constantly and at all hours of the day, adjusting to real-time demand. Airlines don't restock on the same day every week like a grocery store, so you won't find deals by waiting until Tuesdays to book.

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Tuesday Around Midnight is the Cheapest Time to Book
In general, flights were slightly cheaper at midnight earlier in the week (Monday through Wednesday). However, this is only applicable to about 1.6% of U.S. markets, meaning that it's not likely you'll find the same savings on your specific route.

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How to set up Google Flights alerts
  1. Enter your travel information. Enter your travel details into Google Flights (number of passengers, origin airport, destination airport, dates, etc.). ...
  2. Click the “Track prices” toggle. ...
  3. View the flights you're tracking. ...
  4. Monitor your email.


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Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Fridays and Sundays are pricier, according to travel deal site FareCompare. Leisure travelers tend to fly on the weekends, either starting their vacations on Friday or taking a long weekend Friday to Sunday.

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You should always book the earliest flight possible to avoid delays, according to a flight attendant. The blogger and cabin crew revealed delays usually have a knock on effect throughout the day, and so in order to steer clear, you should be setting an alarm for way before the crack of dawn.

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Beyond delays and cancelations, early morning flights have the added perk of being less prone to turbulence. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, most thunderstorms tend to occur in the afternoon.

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Just like us after a night of good sleep, airline circulation is freshest in the morning. If your flight departs in the morning, you are less likely to be affected by delays that stack up during the day and push back or cancel departure times.

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Airlines don't restock on the same day every week like a grocery store, so you won't find deals by waiting until Tuesdays to book. However, you might find some modest savings if you're willing to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, when there's less demand than usual.

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In the early days of online flight booking, airlines used to manually post their updated prices at a certain time of day each week. This led to the rise of the myth that the cheapest time to book a flight was on Tuesday (and specifically at 3am, many claimed).

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It seems most airlines launch their discounts on Monday nights, so you can pick up the best prices on Tuesday mornings. Typically, you'll save somewhere between 15 and 25 percent.

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Online research has shown that the answer to when are flights cheapest to book on any given day is around 05:00. So, set the alarm, and get up early for that flight deal. To do one even better, booking on a Sunday could also save you money. Remember, this means getting up at 05:00 on Sunday.

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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.

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Airlines don't pick a particular day of the week to make their prices the cheapest. Plane ticket prices fluctuate constantly, and there's no way to know ahead of time when a flight will drop to its lowest price.

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Demand (yield management): To maximize revenue, airlines use a variable pricing strategy to sell the same seat at different prices to different customers at different times. Airlines pre-define different fare segments, even for the same fare class.

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However, airlines say prices change not because of a consumer's search history on a website, or their cookies, but because of inventory updates or glitches on the website, FareCompare's Rick Seaney said in an email.

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