Among frequent fliers, Tuesday has long been considered the best day to book flights, but the latest data reveals a few surprises.
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This article was originally published in 2026 and most recently updated on June 26, 2026, with current information.
Airfare advice has always come with an industry adage: Book at the right moment, for travel on the right day, and you’ll unlock the lowest fares. For years, the tip was to book on Tuesday, but according to Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks Report, Friday is now the cheapest day to book flights.
“Flight prices change constantly, and this year Expedia found that Friday is the cheapest day to book flights,” Melanie Fish, vice president of global public relations for Expedia Group Brands, told Afar. “Travelers can save up to 3 percent when booking on a Friday instead of on a Sunday, which is the most expensive day.”
Expedia’s report says that Friday is also the cheapest day to fly in general. Jet off on a Friday instead of Sunday and you can save up to 8 percent.
But when it comes to flying domestically within the USA, Tuesday is the cheapest day, with flights costing 14 percent less on average compared to Sunday departures. Expedia reports that Tuesdays are also the least busy day of the week to fly, based on bookings; Fridays are the busiest.
According to Expedia, August is the least expensive month to fly in general and January is the cheapest month to fly domestically, while December is the most expensive month to fly.
Changes in demand are helping push Friday flight prices down, according to Expedia’s report. It tracked patterns throughout a year of Expedia’s Flight Deals tool, which highlights fares priced at least 20 percent below normal. Fewer business travelers are flying on Friday, and that opens up cheaper inventory for leisure travelers heading into the weekend.
Despite this new report, experts still caution against reading too much into any single “best day” finding. Expedia’s data only reflects bookings made on its platform—not the entire airfare ecosystem—and pricing can shift constantly based on a range of factors.
Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for Going, a travel deals newsletter and app, noted that in one analysis by booking platform CheapOair, a single domestic flight changed price 135 times over the year it was available, which is about once every 2.4 days.
With that in mind, Nastro described attempting to time booking to a specific day of the week as “trying to catch a wave by checking the tide charts from last year. The wave you’re looking for doesn’t care what day it is.”
The long-held Tuesday booking strategy wasn’t arbitrary—it reflected how airfare pricing models used to operate. Airlines once updated fares on a set weekly cadence, and competitors would match or undercut those prices shortly afterward. That created a brief window, late Tuesday into Wednesday, when savvy travelers could find deals.
Airfare pricing today, however, is far less predictable. “Fares are determined entirely by expected demand,” says Brett Snyder, who worked for several airlines before founding Cranky Concierge, an air-travel booking and emergency-assistance service. “If flights are expected to be full, or during peak times, then prices are higher. If demand is lower, they’ll bring prices down to try to keep the planes full.”
Airlines now rely on robust algorithms that adjust fares in real time based on demand, competition, and booking patterns—meaning there’s no longer a single, reliable “drop” each week. And changing patterns in the corporate sector also have played a role. “The . . . shift in the cheapest day to book and fly is closely tied to changing work habits,” said Fish of Expedia. “Many business travelers now complete their trips earlier in the week or avoid Friday travel altogether, lowering demand at the end of the week.”
Set an alert for the flight you want. “Price tracking alerts consistently outperform the ‘best day’ rules,” Fish said. “Flight fares alter daily, and some of the biggest savings come from timing the price, not necessarily waiting for a specific weekday. The smartest strategy is to track routes early, watch for dips, and be ready to book when a deal appears on the radar.”
Travelers can use Skyscanner Price Alerts, which keeps track of price drops on the routes you’re interested in, and Skyscanner’s Savings Generator tool; type in where you’re flying from and it will analyze flight data to show you average monthly prices and the best day to book tickets to certain destinations. Similarly, the Flight Deals tool on Expedia’s app scans flights from your home airport to find those that are least expensive.
Mike Arnot, an airline industry commentator, suggests booking far ahead of time. “Travelers are best off planning their travel long in advance, where there is lots of [carrier] competition for specific seats,” Arnot told Afar. “For example, if you want to fly from New York to Europe, there are a dozen airlines flying the routes every day, each competing to put bums in seats. If you’re one of the first to book, you’re going to have the most likely options for the lowest fares.”
He added that while ticket prices fluctuate, airlines tend to push fares higher as departure approaches, and they use sophisticated software tools, coupled with human intervention, to ensure they maximize revenue.
All of which can mean that the day of the week you choose to book airfare is, according to Arnot, “only a small factor in your dream vacation.” Savings, he added, may come with drawbacks: “I’m not convinced that contorting yourself in economy with multiple connecting flights to save $50 by flying on a Tuesday is worth the mental or physical anguish.”
Related: To Get the Best Price, This Is When to Book Your Flight
Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.
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