Passengers stroll via the doorway of a TSA PreCheck in Terminal One at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Feb. 1, 2017.
Armando L. Sanchez | Chicago Tribune | Getty Images
Finding a cheap flight can at occasions really feel as powerful as scoring a good snack on an airplane.
But journey consultants usually agree on one piece of recommendation to getting a good deal on airfare: Be versatile.
“It’s our No .1 advice, always, for travelers” in search of offers, stated James Byers, head of the product group at Google Flights.
Flexibility could imply flying midweek as an alternative of through the weekend, or maybe touring exterior of peak season for a selected vacation spot, he and different consultants stated.
“Try not to lock yourself into a really specific date,” Byers stated.
Even shifting journey by a day or two in both path could make a “huge difference,” he stated.
The least expensive days to fly
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually the most cost effective days to fly. Tickets are 13% cheaper than these for weekend flights, in accordance to new Google Flights data.
Google examined common round-trip airfares from Jan. 1, 2021, via Aug. 1, 2025. It analyzed four-day to 16-day journeys departing from the highest 4,000 markets within the U.S.
Midweek departures are a “simple way” to save $42 a ticket, or about 14%, on common, for home airfare, in accordance to a 2025 journey hacks report by Hopper.
Sunday is commonly the costliest day to fly, Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist, wrote within the report. It’s sometimes a busy day in airports as individuals fly house from weekends away, she wrote.
“Travelers thinking about a weekend getaway can save significantly by departing mid-week and returning on Saturday or Monday, instead of Sunday,” Berg wrote.
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Of course, holidays can throw a wrench into these tips.
For instance, flying on the Wednesday earlier than Thanksgiving is probably going the costliest day to fly round that specific vacation, stated Sally French, a journey analyst at NerdWallet.
As an added bonus, skipping weekend journey also can yield huge lodge reductions. Checking in on Friday or Saturday and staying via Sunday usually means paying a premium exceeding 20%, or about $50 extra per evening, relative to the most cost effective days of the week to test in, akin to Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, in accordance to Hopper information.
Don’t fall for this journey ‘fable’
Can’t afford the lodge? Travelers will pay workers to allow them to take pictures within the pool.
Daniloandjus | E+ | Getty Images
Many vacationers fall for the “myth” that the day of the week on which they buy their flight has an enormous monetary impact, French stated.
“It’s not true,” she stated. “It’s not the day that you book [that’s important], it’s the day that you fly.”
Tuesday has traditionally been the most cost effective day of the week to e-book, nevertheless it’s solely 1.3% cheaper than Sunday, the costliest day, in accordance to the Google Flights evaluation.
“If I were giving my friends and family advice on what to look for, it’d be lower on the list as a factor,” Byers stated. “I wouldn’t say, ‘Wait until Tuesday.'”
Travel exterior of peak season
These different journey traits supply one thing totally different than the everyday trip.
Alexandr Dubynin | Moment | Getty Images
Flexibility on a extra macro degree also can assist cut back your airfare, French stated.
“Just going in a less crowded month can be helpful,” she stated.
This may imply touring throughout a vacation spot’s shoulder season or offseason, consultants stated.
Airfare usually peaks in mid-summer and drops as early fall approaches, Berg wrote. For instance, home vacationers in 2024 saved 40%, on common, or about $150, by shifting from peak summer time months to September or October, she wrote, citing Hopper information.
Of course, it might be troublesome for sure vacationers to be versatile.
Parents could also be tied to summer time journeys due to college trip schedules, whereas employees in sure roles, say, lecturers or tax preparers, could also be restricted in once they can take break day work.
Additionally, excursions or cruises usually include inflexible begin and finish dates, and it might not make monetary sense to tack on extra days — and further lodge and meals prices — at first or finish of a visit, French stated.
Other airfare hacks
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There are different methods to save, although, consultants stated.
Layovers, whereas probably burdensome, are sometimes a surefire approach to get monetary savings. Booking an itinerary with a layover saves vacationers about 22%, on common, versus flying nonstop, in accordance to Google Flights.
Just bear in mind to pack all of the important objects to your journey in your carry-on baggage in case your suitcase does not make it onto the following airplane, French stated.
Booking forward, or, not ready till the final minute, typically yields financial savings, too, consultants stated.
The lowest costs have been 39 days earlier than departure for a home flight and 49 days for worldwide, in accordance to Google Flights. The goal could fluctuate primarily based on vacation spot, consultants stated.