The most affordable day to fly is no longer midweek, experts say

New research suggests that the cheapest days of the week and months of the year to book flights are changing.

Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks report reveals a surprising shift in traveller savings, with June becoming the most affordable month to fly.

Friday came out as the cheapest day, with the booking site saying the trend is driven by reduced business travel at the end of the week.

When to travel for the cheapest flights

Expedia’s report draws on millions of the site’s data points and new consumer research to highlight how changing traveller behaviours are reshaping when holidaymakers choose to take to the skies.

“Business travellers head home earlier in the week these days, so new opportunities are opening up for leisure travellers to save by choosing smarter travel days, like Friday for the best prices or Tuesday for fewer crowds,” says Melanie Fish, a spokesperson for Expedia.

According to the company, Friday is the cheapest day to fly, saving travellers 18% compared to travelling on Saturday.

For business class travel, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly, saving 17% compared to Sunday, the most expensive.

Travelling in June means finding flights that are 68% cheaper on average than in December, saving travellers roughly £250 (€300) per ticket.

When to book flights to save money

As for booking, Expedia recommends waiting until closer to the trip than you think, but not last-minute.

The most affordable booking window for domestic economy flights is 31-45 days before departure, averaging £38 (€46) less than bookings made more than six months out.

International travellers can save £93 (€112) on average by booking 15-30 days ahead, instead of six months out. For those who don’t want to leave it until the last minute, booking 31-45 days out can still save £85 (€102) compared to booking six months out.

As for when you book your flight, Sunday is the cheapest day, according to the report.

When to fly to avoid crowds

Navigating a crowded airport is a surefire way to start a trip on a bad note. For a more relaxed experience, Tuesday is the least busy day of the week to fly, while Friday is the busiest.

January is the least busy month for air travel, and August is the busiest. The least busy travel dates include 4, 5, and 9 March and 31 December. The busiest travel dates include 24 and 25 October, 24 May and 22 August.

Cheapest destinations to fly to from Europe

At the end of last year, Skyscanner released its Travel Trends Report, which calculated the cheapest destinations to fly to from various European countries in 2026.

Nordic countries allow for some of the biggest savings, as well as Morocco.

From the UK, Cologne in Germany tops the ranking, with flight prices down 44% from 2025. Goa in India comes in second, and Kaunas in Lithuania is third.

The cheapest destination from France is Tromsø in Norway, with a year-on-year airfare drop of 28%. Sofia in Bulgaria is second and Rovaniemi in Finland third.

Rovamiemi is also Germany’s best-value route, down 40% compared to last year. In second spot was Buenos Aires in Argentina and third was Fez in Morocco.

Fez tops the ranking for cheapest destinations from Italy too, priced 34% lower than in 2025. Tromsø comes in second and Muscat in Oman third.

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