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What day is best to buy flights?

According to a recent study by Expedia, the cheapest day to book flights is Sunday. When comparing Sunday flight prices to Friday, Expedia found that travelers save 5% on domestic flights and 15% on international flights. For the past four years, Sunday has been the best day of the week to book flights.



According to the 2026 Expedia Air Hacks Report, the best day of the week to book a flight is now Friday. Historically, Tuesday was cited as the "deal day," but recent data shows that booking on a Friday can save travelers roughly 3% on domestic flights and up to 10% on international routes compared to Sunday, which is consistently the most expensive day to book. However, the day you fly often matters more than the day you book; Tuesday and Wednesday remain the cheapest days to actually depart, offering savings of up to 14% compared to weekend travel. For the best value in 2026, travel experts suggest setting price alerts and booking domestic trips 28 to 35 days in advance, while international economy fares are best secured roughly 3 to 4 months before departure.

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Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically. The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.

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But even compared to pre-pandemic prices, airfares are lower. Average U.S. airfares are more than 6.5% lower in September 2023 than they were in September 2019, meaning prices aren't just lower than they were last year, but even lower than what they were pre-pandemic.

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Book airfare on Sunday. Data shows that, at least a good part of the time, booking airfare on Sunday is cheaper than other days of the week. If you have the option to shop for travel at any time, waiting until Sunday could yield 5 percent to 15 percent in savings.

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Timing plays an important part. Specifically, plane tickets usually don't get cheaper closer to the departure date. Instead, flights tend to be the most inexpensive when you book between four months and three weeks before your departure date.

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Buy your tickets at the right time (to the extent possible). Airfares flex like crazy, but in general it's wise to start looking for international flights at least four to six months before your trip, especially for travel in spring, summer, or fall.

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Another recent study done by Google found that flight prices on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were 1.9% cheaper on average than flights on Saturdays and Sundays. However, Google's conclusion in releasing its study results: “There isn't much value in purchasing your tickets on a certain day of the week.”

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Historically, Tuesdays were the cheapest day to book flights,” says Laura Lindsay, global travel trends expert for trip-booking website Skyscanner. “This was broadly true prepandemic as seasonality and even weekly pricing cycles were more predictable. However, this is no longer a hard and fast rule.”

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At midnight, fewer people travel and there is low last-minute reservation so to fill them, they release multiple offers. With these discounts, you can set aside some amount.

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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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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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How often do airlines update airfare information online? The airlines update fare information 3 times a day. They do not necessarily change airfare prices all three times, but they certainly can, and often do.

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Flying to Europe in 2024 without spending a fortune is in the cards after a long stretch of sky-high prices. Airlines have added new routes between the U.S. and Europe and announced plans to increase flights on some routes next spring and summer.

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