Revealed: Months With the Most Flight Deals

Today, Expedia^® released its 2026 Air Hacks Report, revealing a major shift in traveler savings: Friday, has become the cheapest day of the week to fly and book, driven by reduced business travel at the end of the week. The report shows that August is the most affordable month to travel, with international destinations, Honduras, Morelia and Tokyo, seeing some of the biggest fare drops. 

Now in its tenth year, the Expedia Air Hacks Report draws on millions of Expedia data points and new consumer research to highlight how changing traveler behaviors, from extreme daytrips to carry‑on‑only packing, are reshaping when Americans choose to take to the skies.

“Business travelers head home earlier in the week these days, so new opportunities are opening up for leisure travelers to save by choosing smarter travel days, like Friday for the best prices or Tuesday for fewer crowds,” said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations. “With a year of data from Expedia’s Flight Deals now in – which highlights routes and dates priced at least 20% lower than the norm – July and October are emerging as two of the best months to travel to secure these high-quality fares.”

Key Air Hacks for 2026 include:

• When you fly matters more than when you book:
  • August is the most affordable month to travel, with flights 29% cheaper on average than December, saving travelers roughly $120 per ticket.
  • January is the cheapest month to fly domestically, driven by lower demand after the holidays.
  • A year of data* from Expedia’s Flight Deals, reveals that July, October and November are the travel months with the most deals available. The tool scans millions of flights daily to find quality flights from a chosen airport that are at least 20% lower than typically predicted prices for that route.
• Friday is the new best day to book and fly:
  • Friday is the cheapest day to book flights but flying on lower‑demand days unlocks bigger savings.
  • Flying on a Friday instead of Sunday can save up to 8%, while Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly domestically, averaging 14% less than Sunday departures.

• Avoid crowds by timing your trip:
  • Tuesday is the least busy day of the week to fly, Friday is the busiest.
  • February is the least busy month for air travel, July is the busiest.
  • The least busy travel dates include February 25, March 4 and November 18.
  • The busiest travel dates include May 22, July 3, August 29.

• “Micro-cations” is a fast‑growing flight trend:
  • ‘Micro-cations’ – flying to a destination for 24-hours – started as a TikTok trend but is going mainstream in 2026, as 25% of both Millennials and Gen Zs plan to fly somewhere for just one day.
  • Expedia data reveals the most popular daytrip destinations are Toronto, Nassau, San Juan and Montreal.
• Book closer than you think — but not last‑minute:
  • The most affordable booking window for domestic economy flights is 15–30 days before departure, averaging $130 less than bookings made more than six months out.
  • International travelers can save $190 on average by booking 31 – 45 days ahead, instead of six months out. For those bold travelers, booking 8–15 days ahead can offer the best value, saving an average of $225.

• Your departure airport can make or break the price:
  • Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas and Orlando are the most affordable mainstream U.S. departure airports, with average fares about 25% lower than the national average.
  • Washington Dulles, San Francisco and New York’s JFK are the most expensive airports to fly from.

• Saver routes unlock short‑haul and international value:
  • Domestic routes under $160 on average include Orlando–Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas–San Diego and Los Angeles–Las Vegas.
  • International saver routes under $275 include Fort Lauderdale–Nassau, Bahamas, Houston–Comayagua, Honduras and Orlando–Toronto, Canada.
  • Several international routes, including flights to Honduras, Morelia (Mexico) and Tokyo, are seeing prices drop up to 25% year‑over‑year, making 2026 a standout year for these destinations.

• In‑flight habits are evolving:
  • 48% of travelers now fly carry‑on only, and 26% plan long layovers to explore another city. Additionally, 37% would wear extra layers to dodge baggage fees (47% Gen Z, 45% Millennials vs 16% Boomers).
  • Top oddities seen by travelers on a flight include bringing smelly food (28%), nail-cutting (21%), and seeing a couple going to the toilet together (19%) followed by spotting content creators filming a dance or vlog for their social platforms.
  • 31% of travelers said that having their seat kicked is the ultimate pet peeve, above crying babies and loud conversations.

• Map the best Flight Deals and then bank more savings with Expedia’s Annual Vacation Sale.
  • Use Expedia’s Flight Deals* tool on the app to find quality flights from your chosen airport that are at least 20% lower than typically predicted prices for that route. The tool features a new interactive map to compare destinations, custom deal alerts and allows travelers to filter by destination and travel date.
  • Thinking about your big spring or summer trip? Members save up to 40% off select stays during Expedia’s Annual Vacation Sale. Book by March 16, 2026, for stays between February 10 and September 30, 2026.

 Check our Expedia’s latest Air Hacks HERE.

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APPENDIX

EXPEDIA 2026 AIR HACKS

• Cheapest day to BOOK is a Friday, most expensive is Sunday – it’s 3% cheaper if you book on a Friday
  • US domestic: Saturday is the cheapest day to book, Monday the most expensive (2% saving)
  • Saturday is the cheapest day to book business class flights, Thursday the most expensive (1% saving)
• Cheapest month to BOOK is July, most expensive is December – it’s 18% cheaper to book in July

• Cheapest day to FLY is a Friday, most expensive is Sunday – 8% cheaper if you fly on a Friday
  • US domestic: Tuesday is the cheapest and Sunday the most expensive (14% saving)
• August is the most affordable month to fly, with December most expensive (29% cheaper/$120 average).
  • January is the cheapest month to fly domestically, with December still the most expensive (19% cheaper).
• Average Ticket Prices for Americans is up 3% for domestic flights and down 2% for international year-on-year.
• Average US domestic first-class fares reduced by 27%, making it more affordable to treat yourself to an upgrade.

• The most affordable time to book a domestic economy flight is 15 – 30 days out, the most expensive is 180+ days out – $130 difference in price.
• The most affordable time to book an international economy flight is 8 – 15 days out ($585), the most expensive is 180+ days out ($813) – $225 difference in price.
  • For those who don’t want to leave it until the last minute, booking 31 – 45 days out can still save $190 compared to booking 180+ days out.
• Time of day to fly:
  • Over half of both domestic and international flyers book morning flights. Approximately 30% book afternoon flights, over 15% evening and around 5% nighttime flights.
• Top 10 most popular destinations Americans fly to:

Domestic: New York Orlando Los Angeles Las Vegas Miami Atlanta Dallas Boston Houston Phoenix

International: Cancun, Mexico Mexico City, Mexico Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic El Salvador Guadalajara, Mexico Tokyo, Japan Punta Cana, Dominican Republic London, UK Montego Bay, Jamaica Guatemala City, Guatemala

• Top 10 trending destinations Americans fly to:

Domestic: Carlsbad, CA +1210% Vero Beach, FL +840% Portsmouth, NH +440% Taos County, NM +405% St Simons Island +320% San Bernadino, CA +295% Las Cruces, New Mexico +155% Orange County, CA +150% Morgantown, West Virginia +30% Maui, Hawaii +25%

International: Alghero, Italy +560% Ankara, Turkey +295% Toluca, Mexico +225% Nha Trang, Vietnam +185% Naxos, Greece +160% Hyogo Prefecture, Japan +105% Ontario, Canada +85% Minas Gerais, Brazil +85% Rome, Italy +60% Guatemala +45%

• Tuesday is the least busy day of the week to fly, with Friday being the busiest
• February is the least busy month to fly, with July the busiest
• Least busy dates to travel: February 25 and March 4 and November 18, based on bookings.
• Busiest dates to fly: May 22, July 3, August 29, and November 25, based on bookings.

• The three busiest airports for departures in the US based on Expedia’s booked data for flights flown are LAX, JFK and Newark.
• Airports that are trending upwards in terms of volume of flights are:
  • Everett, WA +115%
  • Islip, NY +100%
  • St. George, UT +75%
  • Akron, OH +60%
  • Manchester, NH +50%
  • Peoria, IL +45%
  • Santa Rosa, CA +45%
  • Providence, RI +40%
  • Grand Junction, CO +40%
  • Wilmington, NC +30% 
• The most affordable mainstream US airports to fly out of are Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas and Orlando – with the average ticket price over $100 less (25% less) than the average.

• The most expensive mainstream US airports to fly out of are Washington Dulles, San Francisco and New York’s JFK – with the average ticket price $100 more (25% more) than the average.

• Saver Routes: Domestic flight routes for under $160 on average
  • Orlando to Fort Lauderdale $107
  • Las Vegas to San Diego $125
  • Tampa to Fort Lauderdale $136
  • Los Angeles to Las Vegas $140
  • Austin to Midland, TX $152
  • San Francisco to Ontario $155 
• Saver Routes: International flight routes for under $275
  • Fort Lauderdale to Nassau $242
  • Houston to Comayagua $229
  • Las Vegas to Vancouver $242
  • Miami to Nassau $246
  • Orlando to Toronto $260
  • Tampa to Toronto $252 
• Saver routes: International flight routes seeing the biggest YoY decease in price:
  • Houston to Morelia, MX: -42%
  • Dallas to Morelia, MX: -41%
  • Houston to San Luis Potosi, MX: -32%
  • Houston to Tokyo: -31%
  • Raleigh to Comayagua, Honduras: -30%
  • Tampa to Tokyo: -29%
  • Houston to Comayagua, Honduras: -29%
  • JFK to San Pedro Sula, Honduras: -29%
  • Portland to Hong Kong: -28%
  • Portland to Tokyo: -28% 
• Extreme Daytrips: Top international destinations Americans fly to for just 24 hours:
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Montreal, Canada
  • Vancouver, Canada
  • Cancun, Mexico
  • Mexico City, Mexico
  • Guadalajara, Mexico
  • Monterrey, Mexico
  • Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

FAQ

Q: How far in advance should I book domestic flights?

A: The most affordable time to book a domestic economy flight is 15 – 30 days out.

Q: How far in advance should I book international flights?

A: The most affordable time to book an international economy flight is 8 – 15 days out.

Q: What tools help identify the cheapest day to fly for specific routes?

A: Use Expedia’s Flight Deals tool on the app to find quality flights from your chosen airport that are at least 20% lower than typically predicted prices for that route.

Q: What are the cheapest days to fly in 2026?

A: Friday is the cheapest day to fly in 2026.

Q: What international destinations are trending for 2026?

A: These are the top trending destinations Americans are looking to fly to: Alghero, Italy (+560%), Ankara, Turkey (+295%), Toluca, Mexico (+225%), Nha Trang, Vietnam (+185%) and Naxos, Greece (+160%).

Q: What day of the week is best for booking flights?

A: The cheapest day to book a flight is Friday.

Q: Which international routes are currently under $300?

A: These are the routes that American travelers can fly to for under $300: Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, Houston to Comayagua $229 and Las Vegas to Vancouver.

Data disclaimers:

All average ticket pricing data and 24-hour destinations are based on bookings made on Expedia .com from December 2024 – November 2025, with any comparison metrics compared to December 2023 – November 2024

Most popular and trending destinations based on searches made on Expedia.com from December 2024 – November 2025, compared to searches made December 2023 – November 2024

*Expedia Flight Deals data is based on 2025 flight deals volumes available in the US app.

Third-party research was conducted by market research partner OnePoll in accordance with the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct. The Study was conducted online between January 9 and 15, 2026, among 1,000 adult respondents across the United States, who have flown abroad on a vacation in the last 12 months.

Expedia’s Annual Vacation Sale is subject to limited availability. Blackout periods may apply.