Tuesdays were thought to be the ideal days to buy flights if you wanted the lowest prices for a long time. Does this adage still apply, though? The best day to buy plane tickets and how far in advance to book have been the subject of numerous studies, and the findings may surprise you.
What Is the Best Day To Book Flights?
Tuesdays were historically noted for airline fare discounts, which were swiftly matched by rivals. This advice, however, is out of date because airlines can (and do) dynamically adjust prices, with the greatest deals appearing occasionally rather than consistently.
Sunday is the cheapest day to book flights, according to a 2025 Expedia survey; however, sales fluctuate. But the savings aren’t as big as one may think: Travelers only save an average of 6% on domestic flights when they book on Sunday instead of Monday or Friday, which are the most expensive days. That is $18 on a $300 ticket. Savings of up to 17% were observed for international tickets.
You should look at some additional information before making reservations on Sundays. According to a 2024 data research by Upgraded Points, Monday or Tuesday are the best days to buy airline tickets, with Friday and Saturday being the most costly. Additionally, a 2022 Google study discovered that buying tickets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays was less expensive than buying flights on weekends. As you may have seen, Google came to the same conclusion: “There isn’t much value in purchasing your tickets on a certain day of the week.”
Although there isn’t a definitive answer on the ideal day to book flights, it appears that you might want to steer clear of Fridays.
Booking in Advance: The Best Time To Book a Flight
Booking your flight with enough notice may be beneficial if the day of the week is irrelevant. Although most airlines let passengers book flights up to 11 months ahead of time, it is rare to get the best deal when purchasing almost a full year in advance. Rather, you should book your flights as long in advance as possible.
Best Time To Book Domestic Flight Tickets
Travelers should book tickets within the United States 34 to 86 days before departure, or around one to three months’ notice, for the cheapest deal, according to the Expedia Air Hacks study. Travelers might save an average of 25% on their ticket price by doing this. Similar results were observed by the Google study, which showed that reasonable pricing could be found anywhere between 21 and 60 days prior to departure, with costs bottoming out about 44 days before departure.
Best Time To Book International Airfare
Contrary to popular belief, overseas travel can be reasonably priced when booked at relatively short notice. Expedia discovered that you can save 17% by purchasing foreign flight tickets with just 18 to 29 days’ notice as opposed to making reservations at least three months in advance.
Although buying flights at any period with 37 to 87 days’ notice could result in a favorable price, Google’s analysis of airfares, especially for the United States to Mexico or the Caribbean, revealed that 59 days is the sweet spot. A bit more notice could be beneficial for Europe: Low fares were available from 50 to 179 days out, with the greatest deals usually occurring 129 days before the trip.
There is no evidence to suggest that you must get tickets a full year in advance if you’re searching for a deal, even though you’ll see some variation in numbers and patterns.
Best Time To Book a Flight
| Destination | When To Book a Flight |
| U.S. Domestic Trips | 1 – 3 months in advance |
| U.S. to Mexico or the Caribbean | 1 – 3 months in advance |
| U.S. to Europe | 2 – 6 months in advance |
| General International Travel | 1 month in advance |
Cheapest Day of the Week To Fly
The day of the week you actually fly can have a significant impact, even though the optimal days to purchase airline tickets can vary. According to Expedia’s data, Saturdays are the best days to fly within the United States, while Thursdays are the best days to go abroad. According to a 2024 Hopper analysis, tickets on Tuesdays through Thursdays are typically more affordable, especially within the United States, and midweek departures are an excellent method to save money. Travelers might save about 15% on their tickets by concentrating on the least expensive days of the week.
The most expensive flight day? Sunday, for both domestic and international travel.
How To Get Cheap Flights
Every little bit counts when it comes to travel expenses, but there are a few strategies that could significantly increase your savings.
Travel Off-Peak
Everyone wants to spend spring break in Florida, spend Thanksgiving with relatives, and spend the summer traveling around Europe. This implies that these well-liked flights will have higher fares.
If you can, you can get a better deal by traveling when the masses aren’t. For instance, airfares for beach holidays are equally enjoyable but less expensive in January than in March. Flying during the shoulder season of September and October may be less expensive than during the summer months of June and July, when classes are not in session. You can locate off-peak prices for holidays by delaying your trip by one or two days.
Additionally, off-peak can be more subtle. It can be less expensive to take the first or final flight of the day. You may save a ton of money by taking a connecting route rather than a nonstop flight or by selecting less well-known airports like Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) rather than Washington Reagan (DCA).
Track Flight Prices
You no longer need to manually double-check prices when tracking airfare prices because several services will take care of this for you. In order to determine when it’s a good time to buy, search engines like Google Flights, Kayak.com, and Skyscanner use algorithms that compare current pricing to historical trends. Additionally, you can set up price alerts to receive email notifications when prices change.
While some applications track all costs for all flights on your route and date, others let you be more selective with your price tracking (e.g., restricting results to nonstop flights, particular carriers, or specific times of day).
Look for Opportunities To Rebook If the Price Drops
For regular economy tickets and above, the majority of US airlines have done away with change costs. This implies that if your pricing reduces, you can rebook at a lower cost after making an early reservation.
Book a flight as soon as you locate one that works for you in order to benefit from this tactic. Next, monitor the cost of flights. You can lock in the savings by canceling your ticket and rebooking at the reduced fee if the fare reduces.
This is an expert-level strategy, so there are a few things to keep in mind before trying this:
- Before you click the “buy” button, confirm the fare class because basic economy tickets cannot be changed or canceled. If you anticipate changing your ticket in the future, you will have to purchase a more costly economy ticket.
- Vouchers are given out as a result of price reductions. Your credit card will not be refunded. Rather, you will receive a voucher that you can use with the airline in the future. You’ll need to keep an eye out for expiration dates, and be mindful that they may fall on the last day you can book rather than the last day you can travel.
- There is no assurance that costs will decrease. You may be fortunate enough to receive a voucher and a price reduction, but you may never see a price drop. You might be pleasantly surprised later, but it’s preferable to assume that the price you paid is the total cost of your ticket.
Subscribe To Flight Deal Services
The most affordable airfares are sometimes the ones you’re not looking for. Subscribing to a flight bargain service will notify you whenever there’s a fantastic offer from your desired departure airport or airports if you’re flexible with when and where you travel.
These can be 50% off budget fares; mistake fares could save you much more—but you have to be flexible when making travel arrangements. You’ll browse through bargains to see if any grab your eye rather than deciding on a trip and then searching for a good deal. The destination is decided by the transaction.
Some subscription services include:
- Daily Drop Pro
- Dollar Flight Club
- Fare Deal Alert
- Going (Formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)
- Secret Flying
- The Flight Deal
- Thrifty Traveler Premium
Conclusion
Although it’s no longer as common to book flights on Tuesdays, there are still ways to locate the greatest offers. Travelers are better off using resources like price alerts and flight bargain services, avoiding peak travel days, and purchasing within the ideal time frame (one to six months in advance, depending on your location) rather than concentrating on the best days to buy plane tickets. Without a crystal ball that foretells the ideal moment to book, travelers can still find fantastic deals with a little preparation and flexibility.
FAQ
When should I book international flights?
International flights are often cheapest when booked one to six months in advance, depending on the destination and travel season.
What is the cheapest day of the week to fly?
Midweek flights, especially on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, are often less expensive than weekend departures.
Which day is usually the most expensive to fly?
Sundays are often among the most expensive days to travel because many people return home at the end of a weekend trip.
Is it cheaper to fly early in the morning or late at night?
Often, yes. Early morning and late-night flights can sometimes be cheaper because they are less popular with travelers.
Can flight prices drop after I’ve booked?
Sometimes. Many airlines now allow changes on standard economy tickets, which may let travelers rebook if prices fall.
