August, despite being peak summer travel time in the Northern Hemisphere, is the cheapest month to travel, while February and March are the priciest, reveals Expedia’s 2025 Air Hacks Report.
The report debunks myths and uncovers data-based strategies that can save travellers money in 2025. Created in partnership with the Airlines Reporting Corporation, the research busted these myths:
Myth #1: “(American) Summer is the most expensive time to travel.”
Busted: August is the cheapest month to travel, February and March are the most expensive.
- Traveling domestically in the USA, August vs. February can save travellers 12%. Flying internationally in August vs. March can save up to 7%.
Myth #2: “There’s no best day of the week to book flights.”
Busted: Booking on a Sunday can keep more in your wallet.
- For the third year in a row, the data shows Sunday is the cheapest day to book flights. International travellers can save 17% compared to booking on a Monday or Friday.
Myth #3: “The day of the week I travel doesn’t affect the cost.”
Busted: Saturday and Thursday are the cheapest days to depart.
- It’s not just when you book, it’s when you fly. Regardless of fare class and destination, flying on Thursday instead of Sunday can save travellers 17%.
- Domestic US travellers should depart on Saturday instead of Sunday to save 17%. On the international front, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly – travellers can save 15% compared to flying on a Sunday.
Myth #4: “The further ahead you book, the cheaper it will be.”
Busted: The sweet spot is closer to departure than you think.
- Book domestic flights 1 to 3 months in advance to save 25% compared to last-minute bookers.
- Book international flights just 18 to 29 days before departure and save up to 17% versus booking three months out or more.
- Waiting too long to book can be a high-risk, high-reward strategy. On one hand, you could snag an awesome deal. On the other, you could end up with longer layovers, sold-out flights or a higher ticket price.
Myth #5: “Airfare goes up every year.”
Busted: Average ticket prices are down.
- Domestic economy tickets in the USA are down 1% from last year, and international economy tickets are 4% cheaper. In 2024, the average ticket price for domestic flights was $462 ($464 in 2023) and $849 for international flights ($882 in 2023).
Myth #6: “Premium tickets are always too expensive to consider.”
Busted: The difference between premium and economy has come down.
- The price gap between premium and economy tickets is down 10% compared to 2019.
Myth #7: “Every flight I take is full.”
Busted: Evade crowds by traveling during quiet periods.
- Tuesday is the quietest day of the week to travel, and February is the quietest month. July, on the other hand, sees 65% more flights than February.
Myth #8: “There’s nothing I can do about delays and cancellations.”
Busted: Morning flights are much less likely to be cancelled.
- Cancellations doubled in 2024, impacting 3.4% of flights. Here’s how avoid them:
- Flights that depart after 21:00 have a 57% higher chance of being cancelled compared to those that leave earlier in the day. Flights departing between 9:00 and 15:00 face the lowest rate of cancellations.
- August and September see the lowest rate of cancellations (1.2%). August also sees the shortest average delays, making it one of the smoothest months for travel.
Image courtesy Expedia
“It’s smart to keep the 2025 Air Hacks in mind when booking flights, but the best hack is to let technology find the best value,” says Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations.
“Set up Price Alerts, rely on Price Drop Protection to swoop in and reimburse you if prices drop, and use Expedia’s new Flight Deals tool to see where you can fly for at least 20% lower than typical.
“Airfares are down, the end of summer is the cheapest time to fly, and booking too far out can actually cost you money – these realities fly in the face of advice floating around the internet,” says Fish. “It makes sense to trust the billions of data points from across the world and every airline that go into the Expedia Air Hacks report.”
Chuck Thackston, MD of data science and research of ARC, says: “ARC’s data provided valuable insights into debunking travel myths for Expedia’s 2025 Air Hacks Report that will go a long way to helping travellers prepare for their 2025 vacations.
* Visit the Expedia website here.