The Best Day and Time to Book a Cheap Flight

If you’re planning a trip and you want to save money, the day you book your flight can be a major factor in the cost of the ticket. What is the best day to buy airline tickets for a great deal? A report from Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) has the answer.

The Best Day to Book Flights

According to the report, the best day of the week to book a cheap flight is Sunday for both domestic and international flights. In fact, you can save about 6% on domestic flights and 13% on international flights by booking on a Sunday instead of a Friday.

Here are a few more money-saving tips from the report:

• Book domestic flights one month out to save 24% and book international flights 60 days out to save around 10%.
• Depart on a Thursday to save 16% (Sundays are the most expensive day to depart, on average).
• Choose a flight that leaves before 3 p.m. to have the best chance at avoiding cancellations.

Clark Howard’s Cheap Travel Tips

Money expert Clark Howard loves traveling almost as much as he loves saving money.

Over the years, he’s used a strategy that has allowed him to visit almost every corner of the globe without spending a lot of money:

“My #1 rule of travel is buy the deal first and then figure out why you want to go there. By following that simple rule, I’ve been able to visit every continent except Antarctica and every state except North Dakota. And I’ve done it all on a dime.”

To find the cheapest flights, Clark typically begins his search with Kayak Explore to see the lowest round-trip prices. Next, he goes to Google Flights to look for specific flights that are available during the approximate dates that he wants to travel. If you don’t book immediately, activate “track prices” to receive alerts on the lowest fares for the trip.

Read more about Clark’s top travel tips to save money here.