When To Book and How to Save on Airline Tix: Expedia Air Travel Hacks

Expedia’s 2025 Air Hacks Report is debunking myths, revealing July, a peak summer travel time, is the cheapest month to travel. Average air ticket prices are up to 11 per cent cheaper in July than March when booking a trip from a Canadian origin airport 

In this year’s report, Expedia challenges common travel misconceptions with an analysis of billions of data points and the most extensive air ticketing database in the world, through collaboration with Airlines Reporting Corporation and Official Airline Guide. 

Here are some valuable travel hacks or tips for a better experience, and for saving money.

WHEN TO BOOK 

• Book airfare on a Sunday to save up to 10 per cent. Travellers booking on Sundays can save up to 15 per cent on domestic flights compared to Fridays, and up to 9 per cent on international flights compared to Fridays.

 

• Book domestic flights at least 63 days in advance to save up to 16 per cent.Travellers who booked 63 to 72 days before departure saved up to 44 per cent compared to those who waited until the last minute (6-12 days before departure).

 

• Book international airfare 43 to 54 days before departure to maximize savings. Travellers who booked during this ideal window saved up to 11 per cent compared to those who booked 6 to 12 days in advance, the ‘worst’ time to book.

 

WHEN TO TRAVEL 

• Depart on a Thursday for international trips to save up to 8 per cent. Travellers who depart on Thursdays save up to 8 per cent compared to those who depart on Sundays, the most expensive day to start an international trip.

 

• Depart on a Friday for domestic trips to save up to 23 per cent.Travellers who depart on Fridays save up to 23 per cent compared to those departing on Mondays, which are typically the priciest days for domestic travel.

 

• Depart before 3 p.m. to reduce chance of cancellations.³Flights departing between 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. are most likely to experience cancellations, followed by 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. flights which have a 16 per cent higher chance overall. 

 

• Cancellations are lowest in March. With just 1.9 per cent of flights cancelled on average, March is the most reliable for travel, offering lower cancellation rates compared to other times of the year.

 

• July is the cheapest month for economy tickets.Travellers can save up to 11 per cent by traveling in July, compared to March, the most expensive month for economy tickets.

 

• July is the cheapest month for premium tickets.Travellers can save up to 13 per cent by traveling in July, compared to September, the most expensive month for premium tickets.

 

• Fly on Tuesday to avoid the crowds. Travellers who fly on Tuesdays may enjoy quieter airports. While it may not always be the cheapest day to travel, it’s the best choice for those seeking a more relaxed trip.

 

MONEY-SAVING TOOLS 

• Price Tracking: Take the guess work out of deciding when to book with Price Tracking on the Expedia app, which notifies travellers when flight prices change and uses exclusive data to help travellers decide when 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. 
   

2025 AIR TRAVEL TRENDS 

 

• Economy ticket prices are down: Economy tickets have decreased by 4.5 per cent compared to 2023.

 

• The price gap between premium and economy tickets is 3 per cent lower than in 2019. Now is a great time to upgrade to business or first class for a more comfortable travel experience compared to pre-pandemic years.

 

• Most popular destinations: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montréal range among the most popular domestic destinations for Canadian flyers. For international destinations, Las Vegas, New Delhi, Cancún and London.

 

• Trending international destinations: The international destinations that are seeing increases in Canadian visitors are Dallas, U.S.A. (+250 per cent), Bucharest, Romania (+215 per cent), Detroit, USA (+150 per cent) Florence, Italy (+110), Cuaco, Peru (+90 per cent) and Okinawa, Japan (+80 per cent).

 

• Trending domestic destinations: The Canadian destinations that are seeing the biggest increase in visitors are Edmonton (+255 per cent), Toronto (+225 per cent), Montréal.(+115 per cent), Kitchener-Waterloo (+60 per cent) and Winnipeg (+60 per cent).

 

TORONTO NAMED MOST WELCOMING CITY IN CANADA

 

Booking.com has come out with its annual Traveller Review Awards, and there are some things that might surprise people who look down on Canada’s biggest city.

According to their review, Toronto is the most welcoming city in Canada, with Quebec City second and Halifax third. Here’s their top 10 for Canadian cities:

1. Toronto, Ontario
2. Quebec City, Quebec
3. Halifax, Nova Scotia
4. Victoria, B.C.
5. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
6. Vancouver, B.C.
7. Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
8. Ucluelet, B.C.
9. Canmore, Alberta
10. La Malbaie, Quebec

I’d probably put Halifax at the top of any list of bigger cities, but I’d also put just about anywhere in Newfoundland and Labrador on the list. The people in NL and Labrador are so nice they make the Irish look mean.

Most Welcoming International Cities (and, no, I’ve never heard of several of these, either)

• Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
• Cazorla, Spain
• Urubici, Brazil 
• Taupo, New Zealand 
• St. Augustine, US
• Orvieto, Italy 
• Manizales, Colombia 
• Quedlinburg, Germany 
• Ko Lanta, Thailand 
• Chester, UK