Yahoo Finance The best time to book cheap flights
The best day to book cheap flights is on Sunday, new data has found, while the worst day is on Friday.
Travellers who book on Sundays instead of Fridays can knock 20 per cent off their airfares for both domestic and international flights, according to Expedia’s Air Travel Hacks Report.
You can save even more by booking your flights well in advance instead of waiting until the last minute (something we’re all probably guilty of).
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“The sweet spot for snagging the best price on domestic flights falls between 70-100 days, so about three months in advance of travel,” the report said.
“The key to booking international airfares is to book as soon as possible, with prices traditionally cheapest 160 days and earlier.”
For domestic flights, booking three months in advance could save you 30 per cent on average. For international flights, booking six months in advance could knock off about 25 per cent.
As for when to travel, you can also save money by starting your trip at the end of the week, Expedia said.
“In general, travellers who started a trip on a Saturday, versus on a Monday, saved up to 20 per cent on domestic flights.
“For international flights, travellers who departed on a Friday instead of a Sunday saved 10 per cent on average.”
To avoid flight disruptions, Expedia also recommends aiming for daytime flights (9:00am-3:00pm) and avoiding peak travel periods if you can, with cancellations most likely to happen in January and least likely in February.
Overseas flights skyrocket
It comes as international airfares skyrocket with more Aussies planning to head overseas this summer.
Data from travel search engine KAYAK showed a 164 per cent increase in international flight searches for the December period, compared to the same period before the pandemic in 2019.
That’s despite a 33 per cent increase in airfares for economy return flights, making flights roughly $500 more expensive.
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