Expedia Air Travel Hacks Report: How to save a fortune on your holiday from Australia by booking on a Sunday and taking off on a Friday after 3pm

A sensational new travel report has revealed the best days to book and fly to save you time and money this year – as Australians continue to battle delays, eye-watering flight prices and the rising cost of living.

Expedia launched its 2024 today Report on air travel hacks in a bid to help Aussies plan a smooth and budget-friendly holiday, covering everything from the best time of day to fly to how many weeks in advance trips should be booked.

Key points include departing after 3pm on Fridays, booking flights for international holidays at least 14 weeks in advance and securing plane tickets on Sundays, which offers a potential saving of 20 percent.

“Our goal with this report each year continues to take the guesswork out of travel by using up-to-date, booked data to help inform travelers,” said Daniel Finch, Managing Director of Expedia Australia.

“The next twelve months will be a critical time for the Australian aviation industry. We know capacity is now at 2019 levels, but airfares still have a long way to go.”

This year, eight of the ten most popular flight routes for Australian travelers were to short-haul destinations.

According to Daniel, this is because many Asian airlines have been offering great deals to entice visitors to stopovers in destinations such as Singapore and Japan.

“This will undoubtedly be something to watch in 2024 as price and accessibility continue to shape travel behavior,” he added.

When should you book?

Always book your flight ticket on Sunday, with a 20 percent discount

Travelers who book on Sunday instead of Friday save an average of 20 percent on domestic flights and 18 percent on international flights.

Book domestic flights at least 14 weeks and international flights at least one month before departure

Travelers who booked their domestic flight at least 14 weeks before departure saved an average of 20 percent compared to those who waited until the last minute.

International airfare prices tend to be fairly stable over the six-month period prior to travel. However, for optimal availability, choice and savings, book at least one month in advance. This can save travelers up to 18 percent.

When should you travel?

Go on a Friday to save up to 27 percent

Friday is usually the cheapest day to go.

That said, the difference is much larger for the domestic economy (-24 percent) and domestic business (-27 percent) than for the international economy (-3 percent) and international business (-12 percent).

Sundays are on average the most expensive days to start a trip.

Departure after 3:00 PM to reduce the chance of cancellation

Year-to-date flight status data shows that flights departing before 3pm are on average 18 percent more likely to be canceled than flights departing later in the day.

Fortunately, almost a quarter of Australians (24 percent) say they try to avoid morning flights, as an early start to the day increases their stress levels.

Travel in March or May

The average duration of delays is shortest in March and May and the average number of flight cancellations is lowest in May and highest in February.

Travel trends

Expensive flights

Although the number of scheduled short- and long-haul flights is almost at 2019 levels, average ticket prices for economy have increased by 20 percent and for premium tickets by 17 percent.

Japan is the place to go

Bali, Bangkok and London are among the most popular destinations for Australian travelers.

However, Sapporo, Japan is the fastest growing destination.

The hack report is supported by an analysis of billions of data points and the world’s most comprehensive airline ticket database, in collaboration with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and OAG, the world’s largest provider of flight information.

All advice is based on data from January to August 2023.