We all want to find cheap flights. There is no greater feeling than scoring a great deal to your dream destination—or any destination for that matter. So what is the cheapest day to fly?
There are many myths surrounding this inquiry.
You’ve likely heard Tuesdays are the cheapest.
The truth?
The day you fly is not the most important factor.
Supply and demand dictate pricing far more than the day of the week, which is why the cheapest day to buy flights can’t be nailed down to one day.
While Tuesdays are often the cheapest days to fly, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest (and most expensive) travel days of the year.
In this example, demand trumps day of week.
You will often see cheaper flight options on a Tuesday as demand is lower. However, declaring Tuesday as the cheapest day to fly would be overly simplistic.
This article will tell you the cheapest days to fly through discussing important factors like:
- What time of day you fly
- What season you’re flying in
- Whether the airline is running a sale
- How demand is the primary determinant of price
Read all the way through to find out what is the cheapest day to fly—and why.
What is the cheapest day to fly? Why flight times matter
Remember, it’s all about supply and demand. Every weekend warrior in the world wants to fly out Friday at 1 pm and return home Sunday at 7 pm.
Thus, these ideal flight times will increase the price of the ticket.
Early morning and late-night flights can be much cheaper. If you’re flexible with your times, you can save money.
Perfect example:
The flight that gets you to Miami later at night is $125 cheaper! You pay a premium to arrive at a more comfortable time of 7:58 pm.
What is the cheapest day to fly? Considering seasonal price changes
Seasonal demand can vary significantly. This one is pretty simple. People want to go to Paris in the summer, not in January.
In January, you can fly Boston → Paris for as low as $354 roundtrip, most days of the month.
In July, the prices almost double.
The day of the week doesn’t seem to matter in the summer for this particular itinerary. Flights are consistently $600-$1,000 roundtrip.
If there is a sale or a “diamond in the rough” cheap flight, it will likely be on a lower demand day like Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
A nice middle ground between low season and peak season that can help you have a great experience at your destination and save money on flights is traveling during “shoulder season.”
Shoulder season is the transition time between popular seasons. For example, the French Alps are very popular in winter for skiing and summer for hiking. April, May, and early June are not ideal for hiking or skiing and thus considered shoulder season. This keeps prices for flights and hotels lower during those months.
How sales affect what is the cheapest day to fly
While Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are often the cheapest days to fly because of lower demand from business and leisure travelers, any day can become cheap during airline sales.
Some airlines might discount flights for an entire month, others, like Southwest, are known for sales only applying to already low demand days like Wednesdays.
If you have the flexibility to take advantage of sales and fly on lower demand dates, you can save money!
Demand, demand, demand
As you can see, demand is the primary determinant of what is the cheapest day to fly. So, the cheapest days to fly are the days with the least demand.
Those days are almost always Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
Business travelers like to travel Monday-Thursday, and leisure travelers like to travel Thursday-Sunday.
Google flights has data indicating it is up to 20 percent cheaper to fly Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
Ideally, you can plan all of your travel around these low demand days and save money.
How to find the cheapest flights on any day of the week
Finding cheap flights doesn’t come down to booking them solely on Tuesdays.
We’ve learned that here.
And while we can’t highlight one golden day of the week for its consistently cheap flights, we can use other tips and tricks to find cheap flights any day of the week.
It just requires a mix of strategy, flexibility, and using the right tools. Here are some additional tips to add to your arsenal:
1. Use fare comparison tools and alerts
Use fare comparison websites and apps like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Kayak to compare prices across multiple airlines.
Set up price alerts for your desired routes; this way, you’ll be notified when prices drop.
2. Book one to three months out
While there’s no magic formula, studies suggest that booking your flight one to three months in advance for domestic flights and two to eight months for international flights often yields the best prices.
Avoid booking too far in advance or last minute, as both can lead to higher prices.
3. Use incognito mode
If you haven’t caught on to flight prices hiking just minutes after you begin your search, let it be known that airlines like to track your search history and increase prices accordingly.
The more they see repeated searches for the same route, the higher that ticket becomes.
Search in incognito or private browsing mode to prevent this and see the lowest prices.
4. Look for hidden city ticketing
This trick involves booking a flight with a layover in your desired destination and skipping the second leg. Websites like Skiplagged specialize in finding these hidden deals.
Note that this tactic comes with risks, such as potential cancellation of return flights, so use it wisely.
5. Sign up for newsletters and deal alerts
Sign up for newsletters from airlines and deal sites like Dollar Flight Club, which alert you to error fares and time-sensitive deals, helping you snag a bargain.
Final thoughts
There could be volumes written about the best strategies to find cheap flights.
However, understanding what is the cheapest day to fly and how demand affects the prices of flights by hundreds of dollars over the course of a week is essential to becoming a cheap flight expert.
If you want a cheap flight to Europe, because demand is low, it will be easy to find one in January when it’s cold.
If you want a cheap flight to Europe in July with a Friday → Sunday itinerary, you might need to get lucky.
Understand demand. Aim to fly Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays when you can.
Happy flight searching!
