What’s the best time to book a flight?

Which day of the week is the most price friendly? Does it make a difference which day you fly or when you buy? And how far in advance should you book? 

In reality, there aren’t many hard-and-fast rules. But these strategies could help you save money.

What you’ll learn:

• Lots of factors can affect the price of plane tickets, including seasonality, inflation and competition between airlines.

• Booking travel on certain days of the week may help you save a little money, but it’s not the only way to find a potentially cheaper flight. 

• Travel tools like those offered through Capital One Travel may help you save money. 

• Capital One rewards credit cards can also help. You can earn unlimited miles on every purchase and use your miles to book flights.

Here are some factors that can contribute to the cost of a flight:

• The distance you’re traveling: Longer-distance flights tend to cost airlines more to operate because of higher fuel and labor costs. And airlines typically pass this on to passengers.

• Where you’re traveling: Distance, in-flight amenities and taxes may contribute to a flight abroad costing more than a domestic one. 

• Supply and demand: When there are fewer flights to a particular destination, it can translate to higher demand and higher prices.

• The season: Traveling during peak times or to popular destinations can mean higher prices.

• Competition among airlines: Flying in and out of major markets served by multiple airlines can keep prices lower. Lack of competition on routes served by fewer airlines could mean higher prices. 

• Inflation: Inflation can mean higher prices for plane tickets because airlines may pay more for things like fuel, labor and food.

There’s not enough agreement among travel industry experts to pinpoint a single best day of the week to book a flight. According to a 2026 Expedia study, Friday is the best day to book a flight, though it’s only 3% cheaper than Sunday, which it considers the most expensive. Google Flights notes that you can often find the lowest prices on a Wednesday. Most experts say that prices are now driven by algorithms that react to demand in real time.

As with the best day to book a flight, there’s no universal agreement on the best day of the week to fly. Expedia’s study pinpoints Friday as the best day for an international flight and Tuesday for a domestic flight. Other industry outlets including The Points Guy, Going, Kayak and Skyscanner frequently cite Tuesday, Wednesday or midweek in general as the most cost-effective travel days.

There’s no specific timeline for when you should buy your plane tickets. Studies and industry benchmarks offer different opinions depending on data sources and changing algorithms. 

For example, Expedia suggests booking domestic travel 15-30 days beforehand and international travel only 8-15 days in advance. But other travel platforms like Travel + Leisure recommend booking domestic flights two weeks to two months out and international flights at least three months ahead. 

Here are some additional considerations for how to time your purchase.

• Holidays: While peak holiday travel generally leads to higher prices, timing advice varies. For example, The Points Guy suggests booking Thanksgiving flights as early as mid-October and Christmas flights by early November. But optimal booking windows also depend on demand and airline.

• Spring break: High demand during spring break can drive up costs. Google Trends notes that the lowest prices are 50 days before departure.

• Summer: Because summer is a peak vacation period, booking guidelines differ. But Google Trends suggests that booking 21 days in advance for trips in July or August can save you the most money. Skyscanner data shows that booking trips in mid-August could save you 30% compared with traveling in July.

• International flights vs. domestic flights: The best time to book depends on where you’re heading. Travel + Leisure recommends booking domestic flights 60-90 days in advance and international trips at least 90 days out.

Scoring a deal on airfare often comes down to timing and flexibility. From flying midweek to adding a layover to your route, a few smart strategies can help keep costs down. Plus, using tools like Capital One Travel and paying with a travel rewards credit card can help you earn elevated rewards and get the most from every trip.

Planning ahead usually pays off, but flight prices can still fluctuate. Setting up a price alert for the destination and dates you’re interested in is an easy way to let technology do the heavy lifting. The Capital One Travel price watch alert, for example, can monitor prices 24/7 and let you know when it’s time to book.

Being flexible with your travel dates could open up opportunities for cheaper flights. For example, you could plan to fly midweek, when there may be less competition for seats from weekend travelers. 

If your dates are fluid, try to avoid flying during school breaks, major local events or peak holiday rushes. You can even try flipping your planning process: Find a great flight deal first, then build your hotel and sightseeing plans around those dates.

It might not be your first choice, but traveling on the actual day of a holiday could help save you money. That’s because the days immediately before and after major holidays are usually the most expensive times to fly. Spending a few hours of the holiday itself in the air might help you keep more cash in your wallet.

Nonstop flights are convenient but can come with a higher price tag. If you aren’t in a rush, booking a flight with a connection may help lower your fare. You can use the extra time to stretch your legs at the airport. Or you could turn a long layover into a mini-adventure by exploring your stopover city for a day or two before heading to your destination.

Capital One Travel helps cardholders find flights and saves them 15% on average. It partners with travel-tech leader Hopper to analyze billions of data points on real flight prices every day. 

Here are some tools and benefits you’ll get when booking flights through Capital One Travel.

• Price prediction tool: Capital One and Hopper develop algorithms to analyze pricing trends and then recommend flights. You can book a flight through Capital One Travel when you find it or wait for a better price. In that case, the tool recommends the best time to book. Keep in mind that because many factors affect ticket prices, no prediction tool can be 100% accurate.

• Price drop protection: If you’re searching for flights and the price prediction tool recommends booking now, you’ll get free price drop protection. That means Capital One Travel will monitor the price of the flight for 10 days after you buy it. If the price drops, Capital One Travel will give you up to $50 in travel credit for the difference. 

• Price alerts: You can set price alerts on flights you’re considering. Capital One Travel watches the flight 24/7 and sends an email when it’s the best time to book. 

• Price matching after booking: What happens when you find a better price for a flight, hotel or rental car on another site within 24 hours of booking through Capital One Travel? Qualifying customers can get a travel credit for the difference in price.

• Flight cancellation for any reason: For a small fee, you can add the option to cancel your flight for any reason with no penalties. You can cancel up to a set time within 24 hours of your scheduled departure.

Capital One travel rewards credit cards give you even more ways to get the most from traveling. You’ll earn unlimited miles on every purchase and elevated rewards for travel-related purchases. And you can use your card to book any airline, anytime, anywhere, with no seat restrictions or blackout dates. 

You can also redeem your travel rewards for rental cars, hotels, ride-hailing apps, cruises and more. Plus, your miles don’t expire for the life of the account.

You also won’t pay a foreign transaction fee when making a purchase outside the U.S. with Capital One travel rewards cards. View important rates and disclosures. And some allow you to earn credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and to visit Capital One Lounges and Landings and participating Priority PassTM lounges.

There’s no single answer for the best time to book a flight. Industry experts have lots of opinions on the best days to book, the best days to fly and how far ahead to buy. 

While many factors can influence the price of a plane ticket, there may be ways to economize. They can include traveling when there’s less demand, choosing flights with connections and booking early or sometimes even booking at the last minute, when deals might be available.

You can also book flights through Capital One Travel for added convenience and help finding better prices, no matter the day of the week or time of year.