Cheapest Day to Fly: 2026 Data
Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to fly domestically — about 13% under Sunday, the most expensive day. International routes skew toward Thursday. The data below combines Expedia's 2025 Air Hacks report (built with the Airlines Reporting Corporation), Hopper's domestic pricing analysis, and Google Flights' research blog. The pattern is consistent year over year because business travelers fill planes on Sunday and Friday, leaving midweek seats discounted to clear inventory.
Day-of-Week Price Index (100 = average)
Lower is cheaper. Indexed to the 7-day average for each market — domestic uses Hopper and Google Flights ranges; international uses Expedia ARC's 2025 dataset.
| Day | Domestic | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 102 | Avoid |
| Tuesday | 87 | Cheapest |
| Wednesday | 89 | Cheapest |
| Thursday | 95 | Good |
| Friday | 104 | Avoid |
| Saturday | 96 | Average |
| Sunday | 113 | Most expensive |
Domestic flights
Hopper and Google Flights both peg Tuesday and Wednesday as the cheapest domestic departures, roughly 13% under Sunday. Friday and Sunday concentrate leisure demand, which pushes fares to the weekly peak.
- Cheapest: Tuesday (87), Wednesday (89)
- Most expensive: Sunday (113), Friday (104)
- Source: Hopper domestic pricing, Google Flights 2025 research
International flights
Expedia's 2025 Air Hacks report (with ARC) found Thursday is the cheapest day to fly internationally — about 15% cheaper than Sunday. Tuesday and Wednesday are close behind. Saturday spikes because of leisure long-haul demand.
- Cheapest: Thursday (88), Tuesday (92)
- Most expensive: Sunday (110), Saturday (106)
- Source: Expedia 2025 Air Hacks Report (ARC dataset)
Cheapest Day to Book a Flight
Expedia's 2025 Air Hacks report flags Sunday as the cheapest day to book — up to 22% under the worst day. Google Flights data is more skeptical: across billions of searches, Tuesday booking averaged just 1.3% under Sunday. The honest answer: how far in advance you book matters far more than which weekday you click "purchase." Aim for 23-51 days out for domestic and ~49+ days out for international.
Best vs Worst Day Combinations
Methodology & Sources
Day-of-week price indexes are blended from three published datasets. We rebased each source to a 100 = weekly average scale so they can be compared directly. The pattern (midweek cheap, Sunday peak) is consistent across every source we reviewed.
- Expedia 2025 Air Hacks Report — co-published with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC); covers domestic and international averages.
- Hopper: The Cheapest Days to Fly Domestically — Hopper's pricing dataset with Tuesday/Wednesday as cheapest US departures.
- NerdWallet: Best Days to Book a Flight and When to Fly — independent analysis confirming Tuesday/Wednesday US savings of ~14% vs Sunday.
- Google Flights research (2025) — booking-window data and the 1.3% day-of-booking finding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Tuesday/Wednesday rule still apply during peak holidays?+
No. During Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break and the July 4th window, demand overrides the day-of-week pattern. Holiday flying compresses prices across all days, so the cheapest weekday can still cost 30-60% more than a normal Tuesday. The fly-on-the-actual-holiday trick (e.g. Christmas Day itself) usually beats picking a "cheap" weekday.
What about red-eye and early morning flights?+
Red-eyes (10pm–6am departures) and 5–6am flights tend to be the cheapest within any given day, often 10-20% under the daily average. Combine a Tuesday or Wednesday with a red-eye and you stack two discounts.
How much can I really save by shifting one day?+
Realistic savings are 5-15% for domestic and 8-15% for international, based on Expedia ARC and Google Flights data. A 13% savings on a $400 domestic round-trip is about $52. Stacking strategies (cheap day + booking 23-51 days out + layover) can push total savings to 20-25%.
Should I book on a specific day of the week?+
The day you fly matters far more than the day you book. Expedia's 2025 Air Hacks report found Sunday is the cheapest day to book, but the savings vs. the worst day are only a few percent. Google Flights data shows the day-of-booking effect is roughly 1.3% — basically noise. Focus on flight day and booking window instead.