Report reveals cheapest days to book and travel and how to avoid flight delays
New Price Tracking and Predictions feature unlocks savings for Expedia members
Expedia® has released its 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report created in partnership with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). The guide provides the latest essential tips to save travelers time and money on flights.
Top tips from the 2023 Air Travel Hacks report:
- Book airfare on a Sunday to save up to 15%. Travelers who book on Sundays instead of Fridays tend to save, on average, around 5% on domestic flights and 15% on international flights. While the best day of the week to book has been Sunday for the past four years, travelers saved 5% more on average in 2022 compared to 2021.
- Book at least a month before domestic flights and six months before international flights to save 10%. The sweet spot for snagging the best price on domestic flights falls between 28 – 35 days before departure – so about a month in advance of travel. Travelers that booked during that period saved 10% on average compared to those who waited until the last minute (0 – 2 weeks out). For those who prefer to plan further in advance, booking domestic airfares any earlier than 113 days out has historically been more expensive, but may ensure you get your preferred flights. Domestic airfares have been more expensive in the 3.5 – 6 months before departure, so try not to book early.
- Depart before 3 p.m. to reduce chance of cancellations.3 Based on year-to-date flight status data, flights that depart after 3 p.m. have a 50% higher chance, on average, of being delayed than those that depart earlier in the day.
- Depart on a Wednesday to save up to 15%.4 Avoid departing Saturday – Monday, which are the priciest days, on average, to start a trip.
- Plan using price alerts. Take the guess work out of deciding when to book with the Price Tracking and Prediction feature on the Expedia app, which uses exclusive data to pinpoint the best time to book and notifies travelers when flight prices change.*
“This report and Expedia’s new Price Tracking and Predictions feature on the app do more than save people money,” said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands. “It’s about the time savings and peace of mind that comes with knowing you have machine learning informing your booking decisions and a tool at your fingertips that does the work of price tracking for you.”
“While it has been a volatile recovery, our data indicates travel is beginning to normalize with travelers taking advantage of flying again,” said Chuck Thackston, managing director of data science and research at ARC. “Airlines have improved their performance while both capacity and traveler demand continue to increase. We’re also starting to see business travelers return to the skies following the surge of leisure travel in the first half of 2022.” [24×7]
