Flights can cost a bit more when you book on Fridays, but timing, route, and demand matter far more than the weekday alone for most travelers.
When you search for airfare at the end of the workweek, it sometimes feels like every airline is playing a trick on you. So it is fair to ask a direct question: are flights more expensive to book on fridays, or is that just another travel myth that refuses to die?
The short reality is this: some recent studies show average fares booked on Fridays can run a little higher than bookings made earlier in the week, yet the gap is usually small. Far bigger factors include how far ahead you buy, the route, school holidays, and how flexible you are with travel dates and times. Instead of chasing one magic weekday, you will save more money by using tools that track prices and by planning around demand patterns.
Are Flights More Expensive To Book On Fridays? What Data Shows
To answer the Friday price question, you need to think about two things: data on booking days and the way airlines set fares. Several large agencies have shared numbers from millions of tickets. Their reports often agree on the broad pattern even if the exact percentages differ.
Some reports based on global booking data show that tickets bought on Sundays and some midweek days average slightly below the overall price level, while tickets bought on Fridays and Saturdays lean higher. One recent analysis found fares booked on Fridays running roughly five to six percent above the weekly average in that data set. A recent Expedia air hacks report points out that Sunday bookings often come in cheaper than late week purchases on similar routes.
At the same time, experts behind big search tools warn that the day you click purchase matters less than timing your booking window. A post from Google Flights price trends notes that, over five years of data, buying on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays instead of weekends trimmed average prices by only a couple of percentage points. In other words, the weekday effect exists in some data, yet it is not large enough to rescue a badly timed booking.
Typical Price Difference By Booking Day
The table below gives a rough idea of how one study described average differences by booking day. Numbers will not match every route or season, yet they help you see why Friday has a reputation for slightly higher fares.
| Booking Day | Average Change Vs Weekly Mean | Common Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | About 4–5% below | Good mix of business and leisure seats still open |
| Tuesday | Around 5% below | Plenty of fare classes left on many routes |
| Wednesday | Slightly below | Steady demand, fewer big spikes |
| Thursday | Near the weekly mean | Late planners start booking weekend trips |
| Friday | Roughly 5–6% above | Heavy demand from weekend and business travelers |
| Saturday | Highest, sometimes 7% or more above | More last minute buyers, fewer cheap seats left |
| Sunday | Often below average | Popular booking day with fresh sales in some markets |
Taken together, these trends show why many travelers report that Friday bookings sting. Prices on that day sit a little above the typical level in some data. Still, the differences are modest compared with the swing you see when you book during a peak holiday week versus a quieter part of the year.
How Airlines Actually Set Ticket Prices
To understand why Friday might nudge prices up, it helps to see how airlines manage fares in the first place. Airfare is not a single number. It is a ladder of price points, and every step on that ladder comes with its own rules for changes, refunds, and seat types.
When an airline releases a flight, it opens only some of the cheapest fare buckets. As seats sell and demand grows, revenue systems move travelers into higher buckets. That shift can happen many times a day. Booking day itself is only a small part of the picture; the main driver is how quickly those seats disappear and how long the airline expects demand to stay strong.
What Big Data Studies Say About Booking Day
Large booking platforms publish regular reports based on millions of tickets. An agency level report has found that travelers booking on Sunday often pay a few percentage points less than those booking on Friday for similar trips, while a search company summary suggests that when you compare weekdays across several years, differences between Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are tiny and weekend days sit a little higher.
Booking Flights On Fridays: When Higher Prices Show Up
So where does that leave a traveler who needs to book on a Friday? The good news is that Friday itself is not cursed. You can still find decent fares if you treat the weekday as just one factor among many and build a simple booking routine around demand patterns and price tracking tools.
Friday Flight Booking Price Myths
Many guides repeat are flights more expensive to book on fridays as if the answer were always yes. Reality is more mixed. The day of the week nudges averages, yet does not control every fare. Airlines do not run a special script that raises every price as soon as the calendar hits Friday. What they do is react to bookings that already happened earlier in the week.
If a route sold strongly on Tuesday and Wednesday, the cheapest seats may already be gone by Friday. In that case, you see higher prices not because of the weekday itself, but because demand cleared out lower fare buckets. On a quieter route with plenty of free seats, Friday might look just like Monday or Tuesday in terms of price.
When Friday Booking Can Hurt Your Wallet
Friday booking tends to spike costs most sharply when three conditions meet at once. You are buying for a near term weekend or holiday date, the flight is on a popular route with limited competition, and you book at a busy time of day when many other travelers are searching the same flights.
Better Ways To Save Than Avoiding Friday
Use Price Calendars And Alerts
Most major search tools offer monthly price views and fare alerts. A price calendar lets you see at a glance which departure days run cheapest for a given month, while alerts send you an email or app ping when a tracked route drops below your target price. Used together, they help you spot value even if you end up booking on a Friday.
Pick Cheaper Days To Fly, Not Just To Book
Data from fare analysts shows that flying on Thursdays or midweek days often trims more from your ticket than changing the day you press the buy button. Travelers who depart on a Thursday instead of a Sunday can shave double digit percentages from international fares on some routes during busy seasons.
Respect The Booking Window
Travel reports that draw on millions of tickets often recommend a broad booking window rather than a single magic day. For many domestic trips, that window runs from about one to three months out, while for long haul itineraries a window from two to eight months out is common advice. Within those ranges, airlines still adjust prices, yet you are less likely to run into the extreme peaks seen in the final weeks before departure.
Practical Booking Strategy By Trip Type
To make all of this easier, it helps to turn the data into simple rules for different styles of trip. The table below summarizes a few starting points you can tweak based on your own route and budget.
| Trip Type | When To Book | Extra Savings Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Short Domestic Getaway | 3–8 weeks before departure | Target midweek flights and avoid last minute Friday bookings |
| Peak Holiday Travel | 2–4 months ahead | Hold alerts for several routes and lock a fare once prices rise twice |
| Long Haul Vacation | 3–8 months ahead | Test nearby airports and midweek departures for bigger drops |
| Work Trip With Fixed Dates | As soon as dates are confirmed | Use corporate tools or flexible fares and avoid late week purchase rushes |
| Last Minute Trip | Within 0–2 weeks | Check nearby cities, off peak times, and one way combinations |
| Trips With Points Or Miles | As early as award space opens | Be flexible on weekdays and cabins to dodge dynamic award surcharges |
These guidelines will not match every airline or region, yet they put the emphasis in the right place. Focus on booking far enough ahead, watching demand, and chasing cheaper travel days, not just avoiding Friday at checkout.
Final Thoughts On Friday Flight Booking Myths
So, are flights more expensive to book on fridays? On average, data shows a mild Friday mark up in some markets, especially when many travelers rush to buy at the same time. Yet that effect is small compared with the price swings driven by season, route, booking window, and the day you actually fly.
If a low fare pops up on a Friday and fits your plans, you should not feel guilty about grabbing it. Passing on a solid deal today just to wait for a cheaper Tuesday rarely pays off, especially when departure dates are close and seats on popular flights are already vanishing.
The best habit is simple: start tracking fares early, use price calendars and alerts, stay flexible on travel days, and buy once you see a price that works for your budget. Treat Friday as one small signal among many, and you will avoid overpaying without letting myths about booking days control your trips for you.