As travel searches spike from Labor Day through early December, travelers are asking: When should I book? How do I find the best flight deals?

Expedia’s latest data reveals actionable, data-backed tips to help travelers save on flights through the holiday season¹.

When Is the Best Time to Book Flights?

• At least 1-3 months out from travel
• Bonus Tip: Expedia’s Price Drop Protection* automatically refunds the fare difference if a flight price drops on Expedia® after booking. Available for a fee, on select flights.

What Is the Cheapest Day to Book Flights?

Sunday is the best day to book international and domestic flights:

• Domestic flights: Save up to 6% vs. Monday bookings
• International flights: Save up to 17% vs. Friday bookings

Which Month Is Cheapest to Fly?

August is generally the most affordable month to fly:

• Domestic flights: Save up to 12% vs. February
• International flights: Save up to 7% vs. March
• Shoulder season (like April or October) also offers deep discounts. Not only do airfares drop over this time, hotels and vacation rental prices typically drop too.

What Are the Cheapest Days to Fly?

• Domestic: Saturday
• International: Thursday
• Avoid Sundays, which tend to be the most expensive travel day.

How Can I Find the Best Flight Deals?

Use these smart search strategies to uncover hidden savings:

• Use calendar view tools to compare prices across a month
• Toggle filters (e.g., time of day, stopovers)
• Try multi-city or open-jaw searches · Use Expedia’s Flight Deals** feature to find fares 20% less than estimated prices

• Consider regional and secondary airports (e.g., Oakland vs. SFO, Gatwick vs. Heathrow).
• Watch new flight routes, which often launch with promotional fares.

Where Can I Find the Best Airfares in 2025?

Expedia’s latest data² reveals average ticket prices have dropped in:

• Mexico: Mazatlán, Culiacán and Mexico City – up to 25% off
• Vietnam: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang – up to 20% off
• Italy: Rome, Milan and Florence – up to 15% off
• Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo – up to 15% off
• Japan: Tokyo and Osaka – up to 5% off
• US: Seattle and San Francisco – up to 5% off

How Can I Track Flight Prices and Get Alerts?

Expedia’s Price Tracking*** feature makes it easy to track airfare prices and sends you notifications when prices go down:

• Tap “Watch Prices” in the Expedia app
• Get notified when fares change
• Saved flights stay in your app—no need to restart your search.

Expedia’s 2025 Air Hacks Report, which debunks common travel myths offers deeper data-backed strategies – read the full report here.

Download the Expedia app to access Price Alerts, Flight Deals, and exclusive member benefits like Price Drop Protection.

*Price Drop Protection is available for a fee on select flights. Refund will be the difference if the price of your flight on Expedia drops. Terms apply. See site for details.

**Flight Deals – Expedia predicts flight deals based on historical data collected from searches made on or by Expedia. See site for details. Find Flight Deals in the Expedia app on the “Discover” or “Search” tabs.

*** Price Tracking alerts you when it’s the best time to book. You never have to wonder if you booked at the right time, because you did. Price predictions are not a guarantee. Available to members on select routes.

1. Air Hacks 2025 data for best time and day to book and cheapest day and month to fly is based on average economy round-trip ticket prices for January through October 2024, sourced from Airline Reporting Corporation’s global airline sales database. ↩︎
2. Based on average ticket prices on Expedia.com for travel during 2025 ↩︎