The Hustler's Digest StaffAs an avid traveler, everyone wants the cheapest possible flights. The less you spend on airfare, will make you spend on other things worth doing. Here is a guide to teach you various ways to save on airfare, so keep reading to know the cheapest day to fly.
After lifting the restrictions of COVID-19, people are excited to travel again, and we can see a massive increase in the number of travelers. However, in the era of inflation, there are high flight costs. That makes travelers find ways to deal with travel expenses that need ample research and tricks.
There are numerous ways to save on airfare, and the simplest one is adjusting the dates of your trip. Find a better deal booking flights for any specific time, month, or week. Checking on flight prices as they constantly change, even hourly, to adjust to real-time demand.
Too many travelers on certain days when they book their flight, which may include Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc. But here we think that regardless of the days, what matters most is when you get on the plane rather than any particular time you buy tickets.
We suggest you book airport parking in advance, as airport parking costs a lot during peak times. And if you need parking for a long time, it can cost you humongous, so book your spot early to get off-season rates and save money.
If we talk about the best time to book international flights, remember that there is more than one best day for booking cheap flights. Certain variations depend on your destination, flight date of the trip, the place you are coming from, travel needs, and demands.
Cheapest days to fly internationally
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly internationally. At the same time, Fridays and Sundays are way pricier, according to various online fare sites. As leisure travelers usually fly on the weekends and start traveling on Fridays, which lasts on Sundays.
Whereas Business travelers return on Friday and leave for business trips, usually on Sunday evenings, mid-week flights are less in demand for both business and leisure trips. Hence, mid-week flying dates are suitable for people looking for affordable prices.
It is imperative to find the best deals and spend less on travel fare, which will make you spend more on certain sightseeing things, shopping, and dining out. Save money by keeping your travel dates flexible and get cheaper tickets. Try to fly in the middle of the week as weekends are usually expensive.
Comparison shopping is a fantastic thing to do while buying tickets and the best days to fly. Airlines do not restock on the same day or at a particular time that you wait for such deals, but they have a vigilant eye on various aspects to get the cheapest days to fly internationally.
Shop on Tuesday
The best time to book International flights for the United States is Tuesday at 3 pm, as you can make some modest savings this way. Tuesdays and Wednesdays have less demand for flights than regular days so one can grab the best deals.
Many airlines release weekly sales on Tuesdays that prompt other airlines to match specific prices, so Tuesday is a good day to find desired deals. But of course, you can find deals on other days as well. After all the research by various online platforms whereas, Tuesday is the best day of the week to book a flight.
Wait to shop too early or too late
If you buy early enough, that can make you pay too much, so too late buying can cost you way too much. Check out various shopping windows to find the best for you. Some online sites suggest you shop three months before, and some suggest to shop five months before departure.
Suppose you want to fly during popular holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving, or any other day. If you are looking for flights during peak season months like June, July, and August, the early purchase of tickets will help you save a bit.
Two months in advance is enough for an eligible purchase, but we suggest you go for the current deals and wait to buy as early as we need to know when airlines drop prices unexpectedly.
Compare airfare
Comparison between prices is always a golden rule of shopping. Some people rely on one airline only due to favoritism, and they feel they get the best deals from there or may have well past experiences.
Keep in mind that no airlines have the lowest prices, so always compare the prices to get the best with the minimum. Sign up for specific pages and sites that update you with certain information and deals in terms of pop-ups, so you can grab your favorite deals before they last.
Use third-party travel prices websites to reduce flight costs while offering rates and price comparisons.
Travel dates should be flexible
Keeping the travel days flexible such as arriving a few days early and then departing a few days later, can help you cost saving.
Avoid popular days of the year
Air travel is usually high during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other certain days; even in summer holidays, people travel a lot, making fares so high.
Fly the cheapest route
Non-stop flights are way more convenient, but usually, one can get better deals on connecting flights. Connecting flights could be 50% cheaper during long flights than non-stop flights. Therefore, compare a non-stop and connecting flight before you get any of them.
Participate in airline frequent flyer program
Participating in frequent airline flyer programs can earn points for future travel while saving on fares.
Set a price alert
In this contemporary world, let the computer work for you that will update you regularly. Instead of checking flight prices daily, set a price alert on your chosen travel search engine. Such alerts will help to receive emails when they see the price drop.
Book one ticket at a time
If two people or more are planning to travel, book only one ticket at a time as the reservation system means multiple tickets sold with a single transaction and charging the same price even if one is at a lower price. While purchasing more tickets, but one at a time, you can get a lower price for one of the tickets.
Book one or three months in advance
Although no special day consistently has cheaper flights, there is always a specific period in which one should book before prices boost up. Get an email letter with flight details recommending booking one to three months in advance, especially for domestic flights. Take your time with the last-minute flights, as they might ultimately sell out.
Credit card with airline reward
Most credit cards come up with introductory sign-up bonuses in the form of points for spending a particular amount on the credit card within a time frame. Sometimes with such bonus points, one can get enough money to cover a plane ticket cost.
Rebook if you find a lower price
Airlines have adopted flexible changes and cancellation policies, which makes it much easier to rebook your flight and save money. When you book any flight, make sure they won’t have cancellation charges, as cancellation charges apply on most domestic and some economy international flights.
If, after a few times, you find a better deal, you can cancel your flight and rebook at a lower price. Once you cancel, the flight must get a travel voucher or credit that will help you to travel easily with the same flight anytime within one year.
Do not pay for the extras
Always check your ticket prints and airfare charges, as there must be no specific hidden fees that can make you spend extra fees for changing flights, checking pieces of baggage, or any quick add-up.
Use credit cards to save money
Carrying credit cards instead of cash when traveling is wise, as they are safer and easier to use and safer. If you lose the credit card or smart card, or it is stolen, you can freeze it and find better replacement methods.
Credit cards come with many appealing offers, including trip and rental car insurance and other travel protections. Additionally, for international travel, there are credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees.
Credit cards with good travel rewards must also have excellent credit, so before applying, understand the credit limit and avoid any late payments and accounts in collection. Check on credit card minimum requirements and improve your credit score while planning your trip.
How to find the cheapest days to fly in 2020
Passengers focus on purchasing inexpensive airfares and do a never-ending search. There is no particular hard and fast rule for finding the cheapest flights, but it is all about finding the cheapest days to fly.
It is essential when you board the plane and buy your tickets. Buying the cheapest flights is an absolute flux, but periodic trends still demonstrate frequent cheaper days of the week to travel.
As mentioned earlier, due to declining flight prices, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are considered favorable for travel. Mid-week flights are less expensive due to less demand as business travelers and leisure trips usually happen on weekends.
Although vacationers usually return home on Sunday to maximize their time away, Saturday is still an expensive day to travel, and one must avoid days on weekends from Friday to Sunday.
For flight availability, Friday evenings are the best time to book a flight as most airlines stop selling at this point while preparing for the weekend departures. But still, it is most recommended to book your flight on a Tuesday afternoon or on Wednesday morning to get some flexible offers. Many seats would be available so that fares would be relatively inexpensive.
What is the cheapest day to fly?
Consider the time of the day to fly when most people do not want to, such as dawn, overnight, and flights during the lunch or dinner hours.
What are the most expensive days to fly?
The most expensive days for taking flights are when people leave or return to the airport. Therefore, flying on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays is busier and more expensive. From a business point of view, business travelers’ busiest days of the week are Friday and Monday.
The busiest days are the most expensive as people leave and return to the airport, so one must adjust travel habits and avoid inconvenience along with ample money.
Cheapest month to fly in 2020
Flying anywhere in the United States during the holiday season is exceptionally troublesome. Traveling during summer vacations is especially a nightmare, yet people organize traveling and book flights earlier in October for the Christmas holiday.
In January, it’s cold, which is problematic for many visitors, but still, people want to travel this month to see the remains of the Christmas season. Families most likely do not travel in this weather and prefer the summer season. But people would prefer warmer places to go during this time.
In February, the best places to visit are Orlando and Hawaii, as they are the most comfortable and have many half-price offers over different sightseeing places. It is also the best and cheapest time to visit New Jersey, New Mexico, and various other states.
In March, hotel rates are usually lower than in peak months such as mid-summer or the Christmas holidays. Springs are lovely and could be a fantastic time of the year, and one can enjoy a lot if they can find the right weather.
April, too, comes with a lot of travel deals along with the comfortable temperature. Various places offer inexpensive rates on hotels and flights, and usually, people go on beach vacations.
May is a fantastic time to see wildlife and a good time to visit some islands. June, July, and August are the most popular months to travel. Hotels may be more expensive compared to the spring season.
We suggest you book your flights and pack your bags in October to travel in December. People travel on Christmas and Thanksgiving days, family meetups, or leisure trips.
October is super affordable for travelers in the fall, as there would also be the end of the summer peak. It is the best set for any traveler who needs to enjoy a leisure trip without much hustle and bustle and affordability.
November is a low season so that one can enjoy a cheap vacation, according to a survey by Cheapticket.com. In comparison, December is the most expensive month to travel anywhere as people are off from work and school in the Winter holidays. Prices will be up; dig deeper to find affordable deals to save money.
Regardless of the cheapest month to fly in 2020, understand the health and safety restrictions you must observe at the airports, onboard, or even when booking your flights.
January, May, and September are the cheapest months to fly and the best time to book international flights. Moreover, people usually travel in June and August in the second half of July.
What would be the cheapest time of the day to fly?
Typically, early-morning and late-night flights are way cheaper than midday flights. Certain flights come with considerably cheap fares in the early morning, and the same flights on weekends could cost you double the regular price.
Remember that the cheapest days and flying times do not follow hard and fast rules, and traveling in the current environment after the pandemic outbreak is unpredictable. Still, the 7 am flight would be cheaper if you compare it with the midday flight. Sometimes the difference is significant, and sometimes, it is minor to ignore.
Seasonal traveling
Consumers buying airline tickets have a wide range of available options. Flights are inexpensive if you book them four months before your departure date. Most importantly, seasonal changes and the holiday season can create price fluctuations in ticket prices.
Fall season
One must buy a fall travel ticket at least two months in advance. Thanksgiving week is the fall season, so one must book the trip earlier.
Winter season
Christmas bells are always there in winter and the new year holidays, which is the most critical time of the year. One must get the travel tickets three months before departure.
Spring season
People have so many options, a wide range of attractions and people travel more and more so one must buy tickets at least a minimum of three months earlier.
Summer season
Summer is the most popular season for American eve worldwide travelers. As it is the peak season for travelers, the airports are busy the most. According to CheapAircom recommendations, buy your tickets at least 99 days in advance during this time.
How do airlines release tickets?
Airlines release seats on various days and at different times of the year, so keep a vigilant eye on booking flights for a specific time or month. However, there is no one best day to book flights. Booking flights will depend on your destination and travel needs. One can book ahead by booking on certain days of the week.
Calendar considerations
Usually, airlines release the cheapest seats in the first place and the expensive ones later. Keep this calendar consideration when you book your flight. The time with popular holiday periods or during significant trade shows must be in demand, so the flights must be expensive on those days. Stay flexible with your travel dates and prefer to book on Tuesday or Wednesday when we expect the cheapest fares.
Several factors can influence the cost of your flight fare
- Generally, costs of the flights are less expensive during mid-week or late at night; at this particular time, the demand for seats is low.
- Flying to smaller airports as compared to larger ones.
- Use regional jets instead of bigger planes.
- Fly on small aircraft.
- Check on discounts as airlines release cheap seats in bulk.
- Focus on the time of booking and itinerary that fits your travel date and schedule.
When one must not book the flights?
They must look for specific days to book their flight if they seek bargain fares. Fares are higher on Fridays and Saturdays and around major holidays due to higher travel demand.
On Tuesday, flight fares are way cheapest, but one can find reasonable prices on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. There are certain cheap well-known holiday domestic flights, but one can get such deals even for overseas travel.
Depending on travel routes, there is some best time to book international flights. Such as from the end of October till early November is the best period to get the cheapest flights from Kansan city to London. But if you depart during December, it can boost the fare to $3,000.
If you select some less popular destination or choose off-season, bookmark the target dates while monitoring fares for several weeks. Keep an eye on when the prices drop, and buy your tickets accordingly.
When to book a last-minute trip?
The cheapest day to book a flight will depend on your destination, but one can get the low prices any time of the week but only count on Fridays and Sundays. Airlines tend to release their schedules six weeks in advance to add and remove flights according to demand. One can avail best offers for cheap flights on Mondays and Tuesdays.
International flyers usually feel good about leaving on Wednesdays as Wednesdays and Thursdays are the cheapest days to fly internationally. There is sometimes a considerable price difference across the days of the week.
Tuesday usually is the least expensive day to book international and domestic flights, and Wednesday afternoon is the most suitable time for departure. But there is an exception if anyone traveling from London to New York from December to February opts for the Saturday morning departure. Because international airlines submit their itineraries 14 weeks before the time of departure, that will make you discover cheap fares.
Key points about the best time to book international flights
- Availability is the most crucial factor that will help you to plan while staying flexible with your travel dates and times.
- Usually, business travelers fly on Sunday afternoons or Monday mornings and return on Friday afternoons.
- Leisure travelers, incentive trips, and trips from conferences usually return on Sundays. Avoid travel on Sunday or flying in the early morning or late at night will make it easier to get the availability on flights.
- Planning your flight early is always the best if you travel for holidays or spring break.
Conclusion
The best time to make travel arrangements depends on where you are going and how flexible your departure dates are. Then you can adopt various ways for significant savings while figuring out the cheapest day to fly.
Getting great deals on flights means understanding what affects airfare pricing and what factors make prices drop sharply. After the lift of pandemic restrictions, the world is facing higher inflation, fuel costs, and consumer demand. So everyone wants to save more and is searching for the cheapest month to fly.
Seasonal changes and holidays can create price fluctuation in ticket prices rather than any specific day or month. And the most crucial factor is the availability of seats on the plane. Weather is another factor, as no one wants to be in a place with intense weather conditions.
