Passengers walk through the doorway of a TSA PreCheck in Terminal One at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Feb. 1, 2017.
Armando L. Sanchez | Chicago Tribune | Getty Images
Finding an inexpensive flight can at times feel as tough as scoring a good snack on an airplane.
But travel experts generally agree on one piece of recommendation to getting a very good deal on airfare: Be flexible.
“It’s our No .1 advice, at all times, for travelers” on the lookout for deals, said James Byers, head of the product team at Google Flights.
Flexibility may mean flying midweek as a substitute of throughout the weekend, or perhaps traveling outside of peak season for a specific destination, he and other experts said.
“Try to not lock yourself into a very specific date,” Byers said.
Even shifting travel by a day or two in either direction could make a “huge difference,” he said.
The most affordable days to fly
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are generally the most affordable days to fly. Tickets are 13% cheaper than those for weekend flights, based on recent Google Flights data.
Google examined average round-trip airfares from Jan. 1, 2021, through Aug. 1, 2025. It analyzed four-day to 16-day trips departing from the highest 4,000 markets within the U.S.
Midweek departures are a “easy way” to save lots of $42 a ticket, or about 14%, on average, for domestic airfare, based on a 2025 travel hacks report by Hopper.
Sunday is commonly the most costly day to fly, Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist, wrote within the report. It’s typically a busy day in airports as people fly home from weekends away, she wrote.
“Travelers enthusiastic about a weekend getaway can save significantly by departing mid-week and returning on Saturday or Monday, as a substitute of Sunday,” Berg wrote.
More from Personal Finance:
The way to save in your phone bill when traveling abroad
Wealthy Americans are traveling to Europe to dodge tariffs on luxury goods
TSA PreCheck membership still has ‘compelling advantages’
After all, holidays can throw a wrench into these guidelines.
For instance, flying on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is probably going the most costly day to fly around that specific holiday, said Sally French, a travel analyst at NerdWallet. Â
As an added bonus, skipping weekend travel may also yield big hotel discounts. Checking in on Friday or Saturday and staying through Sunday generally means paying a premium exceeding 20%, or about $50 more per night, relative to the most affordable days of the week to examine in, resembling Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, based on Hopper data.
Don’t fall for this travel ‘myth’
Daniloandjus | E+ | Getty Images
Many travelers fall for the “myth” that the day of the week on which they purchase their flight has a giant financial effect, French said. Â
“It is not true,” she said. “It is not the day that you simply book [that’s important], it is the day that you simply fly.”
Tuesday has historically been the most affordable day of the week to book, but it surely’s only one.3% cheaper than Sunday, the most costly day, based on the Google Flights evaluation.
“If I were giving my family and friends advice on what to search for, it might be lower on the list as an element,” Byers said. “I would not say, ‘Wait until Tuesday.'”
Travel outside of peak season
These alternative travel trends offer something different than the everyday vacation.
Alexandr Dubynin | Moment | Getty Images
Flexibility on a more macro level may also help reduce your airfare, French said.
“Just moving into a less crowded month will be helpful,” she said.
This might mean traveling during a destination’s shoulder season or offseason, experts said.
Airfare generally peaks in mid-summer and drops as early fall approaches, Berg wrote. For instance, domestic travelers in 2024 saved 40%, on average, or about $150, by shifting from peak summer months to September or October, she wrote, citing Hopper data.
After all, it could be difficult for certain travelers to be flexible.
Parents could also be tied to summer trips as a result of school vacation schedules, while staff in certain roles, say, teachers or tax preparers, could also be limited in after they can take break day work.
Moreover, tours or cruises generally include rigid start and end dates, and it could not make financial sense to tack on additional days — and further hotel and food costs — at the start or end of a visit, French said.
Other airfare hacks
D3sign | Moment | Getty Images
There are other ways to save lots of, though, experts said.
Layovers, while potentially burdensome, are sometimes a surefire approach to lower your expenses. Booking an itinerary with a layover saves travelers about 22%, on average, versus flying nonstop, based on Google Flights.
Just remember to pack all of the essential items on your trip in your carry-on baggage in case your suitcase doesn’t make it onto the subsequent airplane, French said.
Booking ahead, or, not waiting until the last minute, often yields savings, too, experts said.
The bottom prices have been 39 days before departure for a domestic flight and 49 days for international, based on Google Flights. The goal may vary based on destination, experts said.
