Book on Sunday. Fly on Thursday. And take morning flights if you don’t want to risk delays.
Expedia’s 2024 Air Travel Hacks Report was released today, providing the latest essential tips to save travellers time and money on flights, and make air travel less stressful, from when to book, how to avoid cancellations and the best day to depart on your trip.
The report comes at a time when travellers are beginning to plan their holiday getaways and are feeling overwhelmed in the process. According to a survey of 1,000 Canadian flyers, Expedia 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.
“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. “The good news is many of the things that contribute to travel stress are getting better, and Expedia is constantly releasing new tools like Price Tracking and Trip Planner, that make the whole booking and flying journey smoother.”
“Airlines are adding capacity and increasing service to meet the sustained air travel demand we’ve seen throughout 2023,” said Chuck Thackston, managing director of data science and research at ARC. “Air travel has proven resilient over the past few years, with travellers increasingly taking to the skies for both business and leisure.”
2024 Air Travel Hacks Report
WHEN TO BOOK
- Book airfare on a Sunday to save up to 24%. Travellers who book on Sundays instead of Fridays tend to save, on average, around 17% on domestic flights and 24% on international flights.
- Book domestic flights at least a month before to save 33%.2 Travellers that booked 25 days prior to departure saved 33% on average compared to those who waited until the last minute. For international airfare, avoid booking too early as prices are comparatively high 106 days out. However, prices also tend to increase 20 days prior to departure. For optimal availability, selection and savings, book 30-37 days out.
WHEN TO TRAVEL
- Depart on a Thursday to save up to 13%. Avoid departing on Sundays, which are the priciest days, on average, to start a trip.
- Depart before 3 p.m. to reduce chance of cancellations. 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 p.m. have an 18% higher chance, on average, of being cancelled than those that depart earlier in the day.
Passenger information board at Toronto Pearson Airport. JIM BYERS PHOTO
MONEY-SAVING TOOLS
- Price Tracking: Take the guess work out of deciding when to book with the Price Tracking feature on the Expedia app, which notifies travellers when flight prices change, and uses exclusive data to pinpoint the best time to book.
- Bundling: With flights, car rentals, hotels and activities, Expedia offers a wide selection of customizable vacation packages in one place, allowing travellers to save hundreds of dollars on average when booking multiple items on Expedia. Whether booking items together in the same transaction or in steps, travellers also have their itinerary all in one place making it easier to keep track of their journey.
2024 AIR TRAVEL TRENDS
- The number of scheduled long haul flights is nearly at 2019 levels (<5% less versus 2019) and the number of scheduled short haul flights is at 74% compared to 2019, overall increasing. Average economy ticket prices have decreased by up to 3% compared to 2022.
- Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary range among the most popular domestic destinations for Canadian flyers. The most popular international destinations are Las Vegas, Cancun, and New York City.
- The fastest growing destination, according to Expedia flight demand data, is Beijing in China.
