January 29, 2025
Expedia's Air Hacks Report: Flight Prices Down, Sunday is the Best Day to Book
Expedia recently released its 2025 Air Hacks Report, which provides strategies for saving money on travel in 2025. The report, created with the Airlines Reporting Corporation, reveals August as the cheapest month to travel and February and March as the most expensive. It also shows that booking flights on a Sunday can result in savings of up to 17%.
The report debunks several travel myths, among them:
- Myth #1: "Summer is the most expensive time to travel."
Busted: August is the cheapest month to travel, February and March are the most expensive.
- Traveling domestically in August vs. February can save travelers 12%. Flying internationally in August vs. March can save up to 7%.
- Myth #2: "There's no best day of the week to book flights."
Busted: Booking on a Sunday can keep more in your wallet.
- For the third year in a row, the data shows Sunday is the cheapest day to book flights. Domestic travelers can save 6% while international travelers can save 17% compared to booking on a Monday or Friday.
- Myth #3: "The day of the week I travel doesn't affect the cost."
Busted: Saturday and Thursday are the cheapest days to depart.
- It's not just when you book, it's when you fly. Regardless of fare class and destination, flying on Thursday instead of Sunday can save travelers 17%.
- Domestic travelers should depart on Saturday instead of Sunday to save 17%. On the international front, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly—travelers can save 15% compared to flying on a Sunday.
- Myth #4: "The further ahead you book, the cheaper it will be."
Busted: The sweet spot is closer to departure than you think.
- Book domestic flights 1 to 3 months in advance to save 25% compared to last-minute bookers.
- Book international flights just 18 to 29 days before departure and save up to 17% versus booking three months out or more.
- Waiting too long to book can be a high-risk, high-reward strategy. On one hand, you could snag an awesome deal. On the other, you could end up with longer layovers, sold-out flights or a higher ticket price. Luckily, there's no need to wait to book or worry about overpaying.
- Myth #5: "Airfare goes up every year."
Busted: Average ticket prices are down.
- Domestic economy tickets are down 1% from last year, and international economy tickets are 4% cheaper. In 2024, the average ticket price for domestic flights was $462 ($464 in 2023) and $849 for international flights ($882 in 2023).
- Myth #6: "Premium tickets are always too expensive to consider."
Busted: The difference between premium and economy has come down.
- Thinking of upgrading? It's more affordable than ever. The price gap between premium and economy tickets is down 10% compared to 2019.
- Myth #7: "Every flight I take is full."
Busted: Evade crowds by traveling during quiet periods.
- Tuesday is the quietest day of the week to travel, and February is the quietest month. July, on the other hand, sees 65% more flights than February.
- Myth #8: "There's nothing I can do about delays and cancellations."
Busted: Morning flights are much less likely to be cancelled.
- Cancellations doubled in 2024, impacting 3.4% of flights. Here's how avoid them:
- Flights that depart after 9 p.m. have a 57% higher chance of being cancelled compared to those that leave earlier in the day. Flights departing between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. face the lowest rate of cancellations.
- August and September see the lowest rate of cancellations (1.2%). August also sees the shortest average delays, making it one of the smoothest months for travel.
Alongside the report, Expedia also introduced a new Flight Deals tool on its app. This tool allows travelers to browse current flight deals from their home airport and find deals that are at least 20% lower than the typical predicted price.
The 2025 Air Hacks Report is based on analyzing billions of data points and extensive air ticketing databases. It aims to help travelers make data-driven decisions and save money on their travels.
Copyright 2025 Expedia Group. All rights reserved. From https://www.expedia.com.
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