Here are the best days to book and fly to save big on flights

Canadians are probably prepping to book flights as the holiday travel season approaches.

If you’re looking to save big on international and domestic flights, Expedia has some valuable travel tips and tricks for you.

The travel company released its 2024 Air Travel Hacks Report on Wednesday, providing the latest tips to save travellers time and money on flights, and hopefully make air travel less stressful.

“In terms of stress levels, booking your next flight shouldn’t be in the same ballpark as getting a cavity filled,” said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations, in a news release.

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According to a survey by OnePoll on behalf of Expedia, of 1,000 Canadian flyers, it found that 39% reported air travel to be stressful and more daunting than a flooded inbox or sleeping through an alarm.

Almost half (43%) of air travellers find the process of securing a good flight deal especially stressful, and 17% even checked back on ticket prices after booking to see if they could have saved more.

So, here are Expedia’s stress-relieving travel hacks, including when to book flights, how to avoid cancellations and the best day to depart on your trip.

When to book flights

According to the travel site, travellers who book airfare on Sundays instead of Fridays tend to save, on average, around 17% on domestic flights and 24% on international flights.

If you’re travelling within Canada, Expedia suggests buying your plane ticket at least a month before your flight to save 33%.

For international flights, the company says to avoid booking too early as prices are comparatively high 106 days out.

“However, prices also tend to increase 20 days prior to departure,” reads the report. “For optimal availability, selection and savings, book 30 to 37 days out.”

When to fly

Expedia advises Canadians to avoid Sunday departures, which are the priciest days, on average, to start a trip.

Depart on a Thursday instead to save up to 13%.

If you want to relieve travel anxiety on the day of, the company suggests departing before 3 pm to reduce the chances of cancellations.

The report reads, “24% of Canadian air travellers try to avoid morning flights because getting up early on the day of travel gives them additional stress.”

“However, year-to-date flight status data reveals flights that depart after 3 pm have an 18% higher chance, on average, of being cancelled than those that depart earlier in the day.”

Money-saving tools

Expedia has some tools that’ll hopefully help you save money on flights.

The first is the Price Tracking feature on the Expedia app. It notifies travellers when flight prices change, and uses exclusive data to pinpoint the best time to book.

Google Flights also has similar features to help you get the best deal possible.

If airfare isn’t the only thing you have to book, Expedia offers customizable vacation bundles that will let you book flights, car rentals, hotels and activities altogether to save hundreds of dollars.

The travel site’s annual Air Travel Hacks Report uses an analysis of billions of data points and the most extensive air ticketing database in the world through collaboration with the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and OAG.