It's popular advice we've all read on one site or another: Book early in the morning for the cheapest flights! Or don't book on a Friday night! Or only book at noon on a Tuesday. Or only book during a full moon. (Okay, that one we haven't actually heard, but we're sure someone, somewhere, has decreed it.) So we at Hopper were curious: Does the time of day you buy your flight really matter? Is there really a best time to book a flight? Are certain times of day cheaper? In the name of science, we dove into a whole lot of data (namely, about 20 million separate flight searches over the course of four months) and mapped what we found.
The short answer is yes, the time of day you book kind of matters. The longer answer is, but not really.
Here's what we found.
Tuesday Around Midnight is the Cheapest Time to Book
We found that travelers who search for flights on Tuesday at midnight save about 6% on their flights, making this the cheapest time of the week to book. In general, flights were slightly cheaper at midnight earlier in the week (Monday through Wednesday). However, this is only applicable to about 1.6% of U.S. markets, meaning that it's not likely you'll find the same savings on your specific route. And midnight later in the week actually gets more expensive. So put the "always book at midnight" myth to bed.
Friday Around 3 A.M. is the Most Expensive Time to Book
Hopper did find that shoppers pay about 3% higher fares on Fridays at around 3 A.M. This variation is probably due to the way airlines manage their sales, often starting early in the work week and ending before the weekend. So prices may, in fact, spike a little bit before the weekend kicks off. This travel legend does hold (somewhat) true: Avoid booking late at night later in the week.
Every Route is Different
As the chart above shows, there really is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the cheapest time of day to book, simply because there are so many factors: airline yield management, airfare sales, demand, and so forth. While some airfares seem to consistently increase at the same time each day, other routes' prices remain steady throughout the day and week. So anyone who says Tuesday morning is always cheapest may only be looking at a handful of routes.
So What Does Matter When Booking Flights?
First, the day you book: In a previous study Hopper found that the cheapest day to book your flight is Thursday for both domestic and international flights. However, there's a big caveat: The savings are smaller than you may think: about $10 for typical domestic routes and about $25 for international markets. Much like time of day, every route is different, and contrary to popular belief, there is, once again, no one-size-fits-all approach.
So perhaps more important are the days you fly: Hopper found that the cheapest day to depart, on average, is Wednesday, while the most expensive day is Sunday. The same applies for the day you return: The best day to return from a domestic trip is Tuesday, while the best day to return from an international trip is Wednesday. You're looking at average savings of $85 (domestic) and $120 (international) by flying out and back on the right days!
Is It Worth It?
If all of the conflicting travel advice you find online has given you hives, you may wonder, does it even matter when I book? Is the agony of searching on different days and times of day even worth it? You may say no, giving up forever on finding the cheapest flights.
Luckily, there are some tools that mitigate the pain (and guesswork) of flight booking. One of these is the Hopper mobile app. More than just a flight-search app, Hopper can actually make recommendations about when is the best time to book a flight, based on those millions of flight searches we watch every day. We can also recommend which airports are cheapest and which dates are the best for your flights. That way, we can arm you with the best tips for your specific route, nabbing you the cheapest airfare.
You're welcome, world.
FAQs
The process is largely controlled by computer software and is increasingly being bolstered by AI, so price changes can happen at any second. That's why there's no specific time of day — or even a specific day of the week, for that matter — that's best for booking cheap flights.
What time of day is best to book flights? ›
“It all varies, depending on the route you're flying, etc.” That means there isn't one best time to book a flight during the day—and that it's a myth that it's cheapest to book flights at midnight. Save 6% on domestic travel and 13% on international flights.
Does the day matter when booking flights? ›
The concept of booking your flight on a specific day to save a bit of money has become one of the most common pieces of quasi-advice among travelers. But the popular travel myth might be just that — a myth — as flight prices these days depend on demand, not the day of the week.
Does time of day affect flight prices? ›
Believing there's just one optimal day a week to save on flights — and that day is Tuesday — is the stuff of legends. And like all good legends, there is some truth to it … but it's not the whole story. The reality is that flight prices change constantly and at all hours of the day, adjusting to real-time demand.
What is the cheapest time of day to book flights? ›
If you are committed to getting the cheapest airfare possible, what time of the day to buy your ticket also matters. Online research has shown that the answer to when are flights cheapest to book on any given day is around 05:00. So, set the alarm, and get up early for that flight deal.
Is it better to buy airline tickets in the morning or evening? ›
The process is largely controlled by computer software and is increasingly being bolstered by AI, so price changes can happen at any second. That's why there's no specific time of day — or even a specific day of the week, for that matter — that's best for booking cheap flights.
Do flight prices go down at night? ›
Do flight prices go down at night? Sometimes. Airfare prices change regularly based on supply and demand, and the airline's resulting prediction of how it can maximize income on remaining seats. Computer software is often in charge of analyzing this and updating fares.
Is it true that flights are cheaper at midnight? ›
Tuesday Around Midnight is the Cheapest Time to Book
However, this is only applicable to about 1.6% of U.S. markets, meaning that it's not likely you'll find the same savings on your specific route. And midnight later in the week actually gets more expensive. So put the "always book at midnight" myth to bed.
Do airfares go down on Tuesdays? ›
Tuesdays may not be favorable for booking, but if you're hoping to score major savings, booking your departure on a Tuesday or Wednesday is a surefire way to do so. Mid-week flights offer the best deal prices in comparison to flights departing the rest of the week.
Why should you book flights on a Tuesday? ›
Tuesday is only believed to be a cheaper day to book flights because airlines often release sales starting from Monday night or Tuesday morning. This means that if you happen to look at flights on a Tuesday after a sale starts, you will probably get better flight deals than you would if searching on a Saturday.
That's because airlines have access to better technology and more real-time information on passengers than ever before. With complex algorithms running their booking systems, the airlines are constantly tweaking prices based on shifts in demand or available seats.
What is the best day to buy Delta tickets? ›
Typically, the most affordable days to book Fligh𝓣s with Delta are 𝟭-𝟖𝟖𝟖 ✈ 𝟖𝟐𝟗 ✈ 𝟏3𝟏6 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
What is the cheapest day to book flights in the week? ›
For the past four years, Sunday has been the best day of the week to book flights. Another 2022 study done by Google that looked at trips departing from the top 4,000 markets in the U.S. found that flight prices on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were 1.9% cheaper on average than flights on Saturdays and Sundays.
Do flight prices go up on weekends? ›
Flights that take off and land on weekends, or Mondays and Fridays generally cost more. So aim for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Are flights cheaper at midnight? ›
Tuesday Around Midnight is the Cheapest Time to Book
However, this is only applicable to about 1.6% of U.S. markets, meaning that it's not likely you'll find the same savings on your specific route. And midnight later in the week actually gets more expensive. So put the "always book at midnight" myth to bed.
What time do flight prices drop on Tuesday? ›
Shop on Tuesday
Many airlines release weekly airfare sales in the early morning hours of Tuesday, and by mid-afternoon, competing airlines have had the time to catch up and match sale prices. In other words, shoppers now have the widest range of deals to choose from when it comes to securing cheap airline tickets.
