You can book flights on a Sunday, but it's not a guaranteed savings day; some reports suggest Sundays can be cheapest for booking (especially international), while others find weekdays (Tuesday/Wednesday) better after Monday sales, highlighting that prices fluctuate wildly and flexibility/timing (booking further in advance) matters more than the day of the week for actual savings.
That said, data provided to NerdWallet by Expedia indicates that — if you have flexibility on when to book — Sundays are generally best. Domestic travelers can save 6% while international travelers can save 17% compared to booking on a Monday or Friday, according to Expedia's 2025 Air Travel Hacks Report.
According to a study by Expedia, the cheapest day to book flights is Sunday. When comparing Sunday flight prices to Friday, Expedia found that travelers save 5% on domestic flights and 15% on international flights. Sunday has been the best day of the week to book flights since before 2020.
You probably knew about the first rule, but did you know that it is best to book your flights on a weekend? While the most expensive tickets tend to be booked on Tuesdays and Fridays, you can save more by booking your flight on a Sunday.
Some days offer better value.
Skyscanner's historic search data shows Tuesdays and Wednesdays often offer lower fares, likely due to reduced midweek demand. Flights on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays are often more expensive due to business and weekend travel demand.
Price drops are more likely on less busy routes or off-peak travel dates. On popular routes, prices often rise as departure nears. Keep an eye on our flights page for last-minute flight deals. If a destination you've been curious about comes up, or if you're flexible about where to travel to, you can bag a bargain.
The commonly-held belief is that Tuesday is the best day to book a flight. The reason behind this is that airlines tend to announce new deals and discounts on Monday, so by Tuesday other airlines will aim to compete by lowering their prices for the same routes.
Evening is cheaper: Booking flights between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM local time often yields better deals, especially midweek. Avoid mornings: Prices are usually higher in the morning due to business travelers. Time zones matter: Booking during off-peak hours in the airline's home country can reveal lower fares.
In my experience, travel aggregators like Booking.com, Skyscanner, and Kayak offer cheaper fares than booking direct with the airline. Sometimes they'll even direct you to the airline if their price is the best.
Be flexible with dates: Flying mid-week or during off-peak hours usually costs less. Consider stopover flights: They often come at a lower price compared to direct ones. Look for budget airlines: Carriers like IndiGo, SpiceJet, or Air India frequently offer competitive fares.
Yes, flight prices often drop on Tuesday mornings when airlines update their pricing systems. Tuesday flight booking deals are most common between 5:00-8:00 AM when fewer people are searching for flights.
You may not get cheaper airfare by booking on a specific day, but when you plan on flying can affect the price of the ticket. Generally, Mondays and Fridays are more expensive than Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Keyes says this is mainly because business travelers tend to avoid traveling in the middle of the week.
Avoid traveling during traditionally busy times.
However, looking at historical data, Fridays (especially before holidays) and Sundays (especially after holidays) have seen the highest number of travelers.
Timing: Domestic flights are often cheapest when booked 1–3 months ahead; international trips tend to be cheapest 2–8 months ahead of departure, depending on the route.
Myth: Tuesdays are the cheapest day to book flights. Debunked: Airline prices fluctuate constantly based on algorithms and market forces. While some flash sales might happen on Tuesdays, there's no magic day. Be flexible with your travel dates and use tools like Google Flights to track prices and find the best deals.
For both U.S. domestic and international travel, Sundays can be cheaper for airline ticket purchases. Fridays tend to be the most expensive day to book a flight. Booking on the right day of the week could save you up to 6% on your airfare, according to historical data*.
For finding cheap flights, top websites include Skyscanner, Google Flights, Momondo, and Kayak, all excellent for comparing many airlines and dates, with Skyscanner and Momondo offering flexible "Everywhere" searches; Skiplagged is great for finding hidden city fares, while Hopper predicts price drops, and for complex trips, check Air Wander and Expedia.
Is it cheaper to buy airline tickets at the airport? Unfortunately, if you're looking for a bargain, you'll unlikely find it by heading to the airport to buy last minute flights. Booking your flights online and in advance is the best way to compare flights and find the best prices.
Skyscanner's main disadvantages involve dealing with less reputable third-party Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) it links to, which can lead to ghost fares (prices that disappear), hidden fees, poor customer service when issues arise (like cancellations), and difficulty making changes or getting refunds, as you must go through the third party, not the airline directly. While Skyscanner itself is great for searching and flexibility, the booking experience through some partners can be unreliable, lacking transparency and support, say Quora users and Reddit users.
The best day of the week to book a flight: is Sunday. Domestic flights: The cheapest day of the week to fly is Saturday; the most expensive is Sunday. International flights: The cheapest day to fly is Thursday; the most expensive is Sunday. Quietest day to travel: Tuesday is typically the least crowded travel day.
In fact, airlines tend to increase prices as the departure date approaches, especially for popular routes. While a few airlines offer last-minute discounts on flights that aren't selling well, this tactic is mostly seen on domestic flights.
Yes — if you save a flight, we'll automatically track the price and alert you to any changes.
Skyscanner Cheapest Month identifies the month with the lowest “from” prices based on recent search data. Key features: Highlights the month with the lowest recent “from” price. Helps flexible travelers find cheaper deals earlier.
For most destinations, booking one to three months ahead for domestic flights and two to six months ahead for international trips will give you the best flight deals. Last-minute bargains do exist but are less reliable. Planning ahead gives you more options and better prices.
Tuesday is often believed to be the cheapest 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'll probably get better deals than you would if searching on a Saturday.