Google Flights’ ‘No. 1 recommendation, all the time’ to attain low cost airfare

Discovering an affordable flight can at occasions really feel as robust as scoring a good snack on an airplane.

However journey specialists usually agree on one piece of recommendation to getting a great deal on airfare: Be versatile.

“It is our No .1 recommendation, all the time, for vacationers” searching for offers, stated James Byers, head of the product crew at Google Flights.

Flexibility could imply flying midweek as an alternative of in the course of the weekend, or maybe touring exterior of peak season for a selected vacation spot, he and different specialists stated.

“Strive to not lock your self into a very particular date,” Byers stated.

Even shifting journey by a day or two in both course could make a “large distinction,” he stated.

Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually the most cost effective days to fly. Tickets are 13% cheaper than these for weekend flights, in accordance with new Google Flights information.

Google examined common round-trip airfares from Jan. 1, 2021, by Aug. 1, 2025. It analyzed four-day to 16-day journeys departing from the highest 4,000 markets within the U.S.

Midweek departures are a “easy means” to save lots of $42 a ticket, or about 14%, on common, for home airfare, in accordance with a 2025 journey hacks report by Hopper.

Sunday is usually the costliest day to fly, Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist, wrote within the report. It is usually a busy day in airports as individuals fly house from weekends away, she wrote.

“Vacationers eager about a weekend getaway can save considerably by departing mid-week and returning on Saturday or Monday, as an alternative of Sunday,” Berg wrote.

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After all, holidays can throw a wrench into these tips.

For instance, flying on the Wednesday earlier than Thanksgiving is probably going the costliest day to fly round that specific vacation, stated Sally French, a journey analyst at NerdWallet.  

As an added bonus, skipping weekend journey may yield large lodge reductions. Checking in on Friday or Saturday and staying by Sunday usually means paying a premium exceeding 20%, or about $50 extra per evening, relative to the most cost effective days of the week to examine in, equivalent to Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, in accordance with Hopper information.

Many vacationers fall for the “fable” that the day of the week on which they buy their flight has an enormous monetary impact, French stated.  

“It isn’t true,” she stated. “It isn’t the day that you simply e-book [that’s important], it is the day that you simply fly.”

Tuesday has traditionally been the most cost effective day of the week to e-book, but it surely’s only one.3% cheaper than Sunday, the costliest day, in accordance with the Google Flights evaluation.

“If I had been giving my family and friends recommendation on what to search for, it might be decrease on the checklist as an element,” Byers stated. “I would not say, ‘Wait till Tuesday.'”

Flexibility on a extra macro stage may assist cut back your airfare, French stated.

“Simply moving into a much less crowded month will be useful,” she stated.

This would possibly imply touring throughout a vacation spot’s shoulder season or offseason, specialists stated.

Airfare usually peaks in mid-summer and drops as early fall approaches, Berg wrote. For instance, home vacationers in 2024 saved 40%, on common, or about $150, by shifting from peak summer time months to September or October, she wrote, citing Hopper information.

After all, it might be troublesome for sure vacationers to be versatile.

Dad and mom could also be tied to summer time journeys attributable to college trip schedules, whereas employees in sure roles, say, lecturers or tax preparers, could also be restricted in after they can take day without work work.

Moreover, excursions or cruises usually include inflexible begin and finish dates, and it might not make monetary sense to tack on extra days — and additional lodge and meals prices — originally or finish of a visit, French stated.

There are different methods to save lots of, although, specialists stated.

Layovers, whereas doubtlessly burdensome, are sometimes a surefire means to economize. Reserving an itinerary with a layover saves vacationers about 22%, on common, versus flying nonstop, in accordance with Google Flights.

Simply keep in mind to pack all of the important gadgets to your journey in your carry-on baggage in case your suitcase does not make it onto the following airplane, French stated.

Reserving forward, or, not ready till the final minute, typically yields financial savings, too, specialists stated.

The bottom costs have been 39 days earlier than departure for a home flight and 49 days for worldwide, in accordance with Google Flights. The goal could fluctuate primarily based on vacation spot, specialists stated.