News

2024

Domestic airfare should be booked 28 days before departure. Travelers saved up to 24 percent compared to those who booked at the last minute, surpassing the 10 percent savings travelers saw on average in 2022. International airfare, on the other hand, should be booked around 60 days out (and no more than four months out) for optimal availability and savings (around 10 percent on average). Last year, the sweet spot was closer to six months out. (If you want to gamble, note that this year's data shows that the prices of international flights sometimes drop a few days before departure, but waiting until the last minute can often mean limited selection and availability.)

Sunday remains the cheapest day of the week to book flights, while Fridays are most expensive. Travelers who book on Sundays instead of Fridays tend to save, on average, around 6 percent on domestic flights and 13 percent on international flights. That said, Sundays are the priciest day of the week, on average, to start a trip. Instead, depart on a Thursday to save up to 16 percent.

Fly before 3 p.m. to minimize the impact of delays and cancelations. Thirty-two percent of U.S. air travelers try to avoid morning flights because getting up early on the day of travel gives them additional stress; however, year-to-date flight status data reveals flights departing after 3 p.m. have a 50 percent higher chance, on average, of being canceled than those that depart earlier in the day.

*

A plane flying from Seattle to San Francisco unexpectedly stopped in Sacramento along the way.
The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft, the plane would re-board in 50 minutes. Everybody got off the plane except one gentleman who was blind My buddy had noticed him as he walked by and could tell he was blind because his guide dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of him throughout the entire flight. He could also tell he had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached him, and calling him by name said, "Keith, we're in Sacramento for almost an hour. Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?

The blind man replied, "No thanks, but maybe my dog would like to stretch his legs."
Picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a guide dog The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!

True story…. Have a great day. Remember --- things are not always as they appear.

Back
to the top