What day is cheapest to fly?

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are consistently the cheapest days to fly on most US domestic routes. Friday and Sunday are typically the most expensive. For booking (not departure), studies show the lowest fares appear 6–8 weeks before departure for domestic flights and 3–6 months ahead for international.

How far in advance should I book a flight?

For domestic US flights: book 6–8 weeks before departure for the best prices. For international flights: 3–6 months in advance is the sweet spot for economy, longer for Business Class award redemptions. Booking within 2 weeks of departure for domestic routes almost always means paying peak prices unless you find a rare last-minute deal.

How to Book Cheap Flights (2026)

Airfare is dynamic and unpredictable, but there are reliable patterns. These 12 strategies consistently find lower prices than the default search.

12 Strategies That Work

Use Google Flights as your starting point — The calendar view and price graph show cheaper dates at a glance. Then book directly with the airline or through a reputable OTA.
Book 6–8 weeks ahead for domestic — Studies show domestic flights are typically cheapest 6–8 weeks before departure. Last-minute deals are rare on US routes.
Book 3–6 months ahead for international — Peak summer and holiday international fares often reach their lowest 3–6 months out. Europe and Japan in summer should be booked by February.
Fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays — These are consistently the cheapest departure days on most US domestic routes. Friday and Sunday are the most expensive.
Set fare alerts on Google Flights or Hopper — Rather than checking prices daily, let alerts notify you when prices drop on specific routes.
Be flexible on airports — NYC has 3 airports (JFK, EWR, LGA); LA has LAX, BUR, LGB, ONT, SNA. Flexible destination search in Google Flights shows which nearby airport is cheaper.
Use "Explore" to find where to go — Google Flights Explore and Skyscanner's "everywhere" search let your budget determine the destination. Great for spontaneous trips.
Check mistake fares — AirFareWatchdog, Scott's Cheap Flights (Going), and Secret Flying post airline pricing errors that can be 40–90% below market. These disappear in hours.
Redeem points and miles strategically — Using 25,000–40,000 Chase or Amex points for a $400–500 domestic ticket is often the best points redemption available.
Compare basic economy carefully — Basic Economy is often $20–40 cheaper but excludes seat selection, carry-on bags (on some carriers), and changes. Run the real cost including checked bag fees.
Book one-ways on separate airlines — Budget one-way prices can be lower than round-trip on a single carrier, especially mixing Spirit/Frontier (outbound) with a major carrier (return).
Clear cookies or use incognito mode — Disputed but worth trying: some booking sites raise prices after repeated searches. Incognito or a VPN to a different country occasionally surfaces lower fares.