Friday flights are now the cheapest day to book and fly, finds a new Expedia report
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The dates to book your flights six months in advance to save are officially over.
According to Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks Report, the early bird is now footing the bill, and a new wave of Friday flyers are reaping the rewards.
With the cost of domestic flights rising by 3% this year, a major shift in travel data reveals that Friday has overtaken the weekend as the cheapest day to book and fly – saving savvy travelers hundreds on everything from a quick trip to Las Vegas to an international trip to Tokyo.
“Airlines are constantly evolving and with Friday emerging as the busiest and least expensive day to fly, this leads us to believe it’s a change in business class behavior that’s driving this,” Expedia told Fox News Digital in a statement. “This opens up a great opportunity for leisure travelers [though] so they start their weekend trips early, Fridays are more expensive than Saturday departures.”
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The report found that booking a flight on a Friday saves 3% compared to booking during the weekend rush hour. Meanwhile, flying on a Friday compared to a Sunday can save travelers up to 8%.
The departure gate of Terminal 1 at JFK International Airport is seen in New York on August 15, 2025. (Getty Images)
August reigns as the cheapest month to travel, saving air travelers an average of $120 per ticket – 29% cheaper than flying at the same time in December. Flights to Morelia, Mexico, Tokyo, Japan and Honduras are seeing year-over-year price drops of 30%+.
“This is the second year in a row that August has been the cheapest month to fly,” Expedia said. “It looks like it’s here to stay, so that gives American tourists a great opportunity to take an affordable, great annual vacation during the high season.”
Domestic first-class fares are down 27% year-over-year, as the report also shows “micro-cation” growth of 25% for Gen Z and Millennials who are skipping hotels altogether and opting for the ultimate 24-hour cruise.
“Business travelers are returning home earlier in the week these days, so new opportunities are opening up for leisure travelers to save by choosing smart travel days, such as Fridays for the best prices or Tuesdays for fewer crowds,” Expedia Group Brands head of public relations Melanie Fish said in a press release.
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“With a year of data from Expedia Flight Deals now — highlighting routes and dates that are at least 20% cheaper than normal — July and October are emerging as two of the best months to travel to secure these high-quality fares,” he continued.
Additionally, the online travel agency has broken down how to time the flying market and when to book versus when to fly. The alleged “Goldilocks” booking window opens for domestic flights 15 to 30 days and saves $130 compared to booking six months in advance.
If you’re trying to avoid the crowds altogether, according to Expedia data, Tuesday is the busiest day of the week to fly — with the slowest travel days in 2026 predicted to be Feb. 25, March 4 and Nov. 18. On the other hand, the busiest days to fly this year are predicted to be May 3 and Aug. 22 July.
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“September is still the second most affordable month, so we may see ‘big holidays’ extending into September for budget travelers. Since December is the most expensive month to fly, that may lead travelers to change their travel patterns during that month to focus more on homestays, road trips or breaks close to home, as opposed to hopping on a plane,” Expedia said.
Airports including Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas and Orlando were honored as affordable kings with ticket prices 25% below the national average. At Washington Dulles, San Francisco and New York-JFK, you can break your budget by spending 25% or more off national average prices.
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