The cheapest day to book a flight has been unveiled, debunking the long-held belief that Tuesday is the golden day for securing bargain flights.

With airlines’ pricing methods becoming increasingly sophisticated and demand-driven, flight prices can fluctuate multiple times within a single day. While there’s no magic day guaranteeing the best deals due to these advanced ticket pricing models, certain patterns have emerged from recent data.

Expedia’s latest Air Hacks report, which analysed vast amounts of global booking data, revealed that Sunday is now the most cost-effective day to book flights. According to their findings, those who booked on Sundays saved approximately 6% on domestic flights and up to 17% on international journeys compared to bookings made on a Monday or Friday.

Although this might represent a minor saving on an individual ticket, it can accumulate into significant savings for families or groups. Airlines now frequently adjust prices instead of hosting large sales on specific days. If a flight is selling rapidly, its price may increase regardless of whether it’s a Sunday or Tuesday.

Conversely, if sales are sluggish, the price could drop at any random time. Travel experts Ski Vertigo advise paying more attention to travel dates and how far in advance bookings are made, as these factors have a clearer impact on pricing.

For numerous routes, the optimal booking window typically falls between one and three months prior to departure. Reserving flights nearly a year in advance often fails to deliver the best value, whilst waiting until the final few days can prove even more costly, particularly on popular routes.

Skyscanner’s latest trends report supports this pattern, recommending bookings approximately one to three months ahead for most short-haul journeys, and roughly two to six months in advance for numerous international flights. The precise ideal timing remains dependent on destination and travel dates, but the overall trend is evident: there’s typically a reasonable window offering better value, rather than a single perfect booking date.

Ski Vertigo advises that early booking represents “by far the most reliable method” for peak periods including Christmas, New Year and February half-term, when chalets and flights sell out rapidly and fares increase as availability diminishes. For those with flexibility regarding dates and departure airports, last-minute deals can yield savings.

However, they caution this approach carries significant risk and isn’t a sensible strategy for planning family holidays constrained by school term dates.

The actual departure day appears to influence pricing more significantly than booking timing. Expedia’s research indicates Saturday departures frequently provide the most economical domestic fares, whilst Thursday emerges as an advantageous day for international travel.

This aligns with straightforward logic: when demand peaks – such as Friday evenings after work and Sundays before the A new week often means higher prices. When demand falls, fares follow suit.

For those looking to save money, flexibility is key. If you can adjust your trip by a day or two, it’s worth seeing how the price changes when you switch from a Sunday to a Saturday, or from a Friday to a Thursday. Tools like Google Flights and Skyscanner simplify this process by showing a calendar of fares and allowing you to set price alerts for specific routes. You can quickly see which days are cheaper and receive an email when the fare drops.

Ultimately, there isn’t a single ‘magic’ day that works for every trip. The most effective strategies are straightforward: avoid peak times when everyone else wants to book, aim to book within a sensible timeframe before you travel, opt for quieter days to fly where possible, and use price alerts to monitor changes.

Approached in this way, the concept of the “perfect time” to book becomes a helpful guide rather than a stressful guessing game – and it can help you get to your next holiday without paying more than necessary.