I like to kick off every new year with an airfare overview, so welcome to the Cheapest Days to Fly in 2020. We reviewed more than 280 million airfares from FareCompare’s proprietary airfare database to find this information, which covers ticket prices into September (most airlines don’t actively manage fares more than nine months ahead). Use this overview as a shopping guide for deals now through summer.
How to Shop in 2020
Shop as you would year-round: Compare airfares. No single airline always has the best deal so if you don’t compare, you could miss out on big savings. Don’t shop too late, either! The following months and dates refer to the cheapest days to fly in 2020; to get the best prices, book tickets at least a few weeks before departure.
Another way to save: Connecting flights vs. nonstops
Cheapest Days to Fly: Winter
U.S. and Canada flights
- Cheapest fares: Jan. 7 to Feb. 28/29
- Cheapest single travel day: Jan. 21
- Cheaper days to fly: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, followed by Thursdays
- Days to avoid: Prices are higher Feb. 14-17 due to Valentine’s Day and President’s Day weekend
Europe flights
- Cheapest fares: Jan. 22 to March 25
- Cheaper days to fly: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
Bottom line: There are many days throughout Jan. and Feb. to find cheap domestic and Europe flights.
Cheapest Days to Fly: Spring
U.S. and Canada flights
- First post-winter price hike: Feb. 29
- Cheaper days to fly in March and April: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- Most expensive days to fly in March and April: Fridays and Sundays
Europe flights
- First price hike: March 26
- Second price hike: May 14
- Third (and largest) price hike: June 2
Bottom line: The earlier you fly in the spring, the better.
Cheapest Days to Fly: Summer & Fall
U.S. and Canada flights
- First seasonal price hike: June 4
- Major price hike: June 22
- Prices start to drop: Aug. 25
- More price drops: Early to mid-September, especially for flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Europe flights
- Big seasonal price hike: June 2
- First price drop: July 15
- Major price drop: Aug. 11
- Another major price drop: Sept. 11
Bottom line: Most expensive time to fly to Europe in summer is June through mid-July
Methodology
A note on the methodology of my analysis: The data includes prices for tickets to and from every city in the world, each and every day, based on 6-8 day-long stays. The results are then crunched down to ‘average daily cheapest fares’. Now, go out and find a deal. And happy travels.
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