The 3 Cheapest Days of the Week to Fly
Published by Rick Seaney on June 30, 2023
More ways to save money on airfare: Fly the cheapest days, avoid the most expensive days, and what to do when you can’t fly the exact days you want.
Cheapest Days of the Week to Fly
Keep this in mind every time you shop for airfare; the tip is good year-round.
- Cheapest days to fly, U.S. domestic: Usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays
- Cheapest days to fly, international: Weekdays are usually cheaper than weekends
Remember, we say ‘usually’ because this rule is not true for every single route. When shopping for tickets, always compare fares but also compare prices for different travel days, a day or two earlier, and later.
TIP: An easy way to find the cheapest days to fly during a single month is to use the Getaway Map.
What Makes These Days Cheap
Why are the ‘cheapest days’ cheap? It’s a matter of demand; most people don’t want to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday so airlines have trouble filling their planes. And because empty seats bring in no revenue, airlines fill them by lowering prices.
TIP:Many airline sales feature airfares that are only good for travel on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.
Don’t Fly These Days
Something else to keep in mind when you shop for airfare.
- Most expensive days to fly, U.S. domestic: Usually Fridays and Sundays
- Most expensive days to fly, international: Usually weekend dates
Again, it all comes down to demand. Airlines know these are the days many people like to fly and are willing to pay more for.
- Fridays: Vacation or leisure travelers can make the most of a weekend getaway or even a weeklong trip by starting out on a Friday, the earliest possible moment.
- Sundays: Business travelers with early Monday meetings like flying Sundays so they be fresh for early Monday meetings, and they won’t have to worry about being late if there are Monday flight delays.
When You Can’t Fly the Cheapest Days
Split the difference: Fly one of the cheap days (doesn’t matter if it’s departure or return) and you will usually still save something. Take what you can get.
And safe travels.
Want to learn more about finding travel deals? We recommend:
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