Book flights at weekend for cheapest deals, says new research

Booking on a Sunday could save travellers 36 per cent

Book flights at the weekend for the cheapest deals (iStock)

The weekend is the best time to book a flight, according to new research out today.

Data crunched by the Airlines Reporting Corporation and Expedia found that travellers who book over the weekend can save as much as 20 per cent – and up to 36 per cent if they book on a Sunday.

The most expensive tickets were booked on Thursdays and Fridays, according to the 2019 Travel Pricing Outlook report.

Travellers could save around 10 per cent on flight prices if they fly on Thursday or Friday, the report said, while flights departing on Sunday were found to be the most expensive.

The report also advised booking flights at least three weeks ahead of departure, which ARC and Expedia called the “sweet spot” for fare savings.

Other money saving tips included timing when to book a hotel. Expedia analysed more than 895,000 hotels and found that the lowest prices were found on a Friday, while the most expensive prices were booked on a Sunday.

Expedia also advised extending weekday trips to include a Saturday night to reduce flights by around 25 per cent when compared to weekday return fares.

This is particularly true of popular business destinations, such as London to New York, where weekday business travel is in high demand.

The report said that the average cost of flights had risen 5 per cent in 2018 when compared to 2017.