What are the worst days of the week to fly?

Generally, the worst days of the week to fly domestically are Sunday, Monday, and Friday. Why are flights on Sunday, Monday, and Friday more expensive? Most business travel takes place on Monday and Friday. Many vacationers tend to fly on Fridays and Sundays.



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For easier leisure travel, consider Wednesday and Thursday, excludes Thanksgiving Weekend. Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays also come in as the cheapest days to fly, because they're not popular travel days.

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What is the best day to travel? The best day to depart on your trip is a Friday since you could save up to 26%. Expedia also recommends that you avoid departing on Sundays since this is the priciest day of the week, on average, to start a trip.

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Generally, the best days of the week to fly domestically are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Thursday is the next best day, but it tends to be a little more expensive. What is the worst day of the week to fly? Generally, the worst days of the week to fly domestically are Sunday, Monday, and Friday.

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Average domestic airfare price by day
  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically.
  • Saturday and Monday flights can help you avoid the Sunday rush.
  • Wednesdays and Thursdays are the cheapest day to fly internationally.
  • Book one to three months in advance.
  • Set a price alert.


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Cheapest day of the week to fly According to Google, it's cheaper to fly in the middle of the week, rather than on the weekend. Flights that take off between Monday and Wednesday can be between 12% and 20% cheaper than weekend flights. Sundays are an expensive day to depart, Google says.

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Fewer delays and cancelations
“Early morning flights are much less likely to get delayed or canceled than those taking place later in the day,” Phil Dengler, co-founder of the Vacationer, told HuffPost.

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While it all comes down to your preferences, daytime flying has the upper hand when it comes to visibility. Because of the sunlight, any possible obstructions, such as rocks or mountains, are far easier to spot, making the likelihood of accidents much less and daytime flying the safer option by far.

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Evidence suggests that the earlier in the day you fly, the less likely you'll be stuck with lengthy flight delays. If you do end up with time to kill because of a delay, here's how to make the most of it.

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By almost all metrics, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is pretty much the worst day of the year to fly. In 2019, 2021 and 2022, it was the busiest single day of the entire year in terms of U.S. passengers, based on TSA passenger data.

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Winter is the bargain season to travel, and you can also wait longer to purchase your airline tickets than in any other season. If you like, in the winter months you can wait up to 26 days before departure to get a good flight deal. The spring and fall shoulder seasons offer the next lowest prices for travelers.

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Across travel days for the week before and after Thanksgiving, the holiday was the lowest-traffic day every year over the past three years. Book the first flight out for the day — a practice NerdWallet recommends anyway to reduce your odds of a flight delay — and you might even land in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

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It might be surprising to learn that turbulence is actually worse in the daytime. In the early morning and night time, wind speeds typically reduce, and thunderstorms clear up. Avoid turbulence and catch up on some sleep by choosing flights with an early morning or red-eye departure!

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It might be surprising to learn that turbulence is actually worse in the daytime. In the early morning and night time, wind speeds typically reduce, and thunderstorms clear up. Avoid turbulence and catch up on some sleep by choosing flights with an early morning or red-eye departure!

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Is turbulence better at night? Nighttime or morning flights are statistically better for turbulence, compared to those in the day. Although turbulence can't be completely avoided at night, winds are often weaker and thermal convection turbulence is less, making the chances of encountering turbulence reduced.

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Often at night there is less air traffic, so you're more likely to get shortcuts, shaving sometimes 10 or 15 minutes off a flight time.

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In commercial aviation, a red-eye flight refers to a flight that departs at night and arrives the next morning, especially when the total flight time is insufficient for passengers to get a full night's sleep. Nighttime at Venice Marco Polo Airport. The term derives from red eyes as a symptom of fatigue.

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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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Top 3 Cheapest Airlines in the US
  • #1 Frontier Airlines. What is the cheapest airline in the US? ...
  • #2 Spirit Airlines. ...
  • #3 Allegiant Air. ...
  • #4 Hawaiian Airlines. ...
  • #5 JetBlue. ...
  • #6 Alaska Airlines. ...
  • #7 United Airlines. ...
  • #8 American Airlines.


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Is there a cheapest month to fly? If you're looking for a bargain month to travel, February is your best bet. Flights in January closely follow February for being most affordable.

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