A revealing new travel report has revealed the best days to book and fly to save time and money this year – as Australians continue to struggle with delays, sky-high flight prices and the rising cost of life.
Expedia today launched its 2024 Airline Hack Report with the aim of helping Australians plan seamless, cost-effective holidays, covering everything from the best time of day to fly and how many weeks in advance trips should be booked.
Key takeaways include departing on a Friday after 3 p.m., booking flights at least 14 weeks in advance for international holidays, and getting plane tickets on a Sunday for a potential saving of 20%.
“Our goal with this annual report remains to take the guesswork out of travel by using real, grounded data to help inform travelers,” said Daniel Finch, managing director of Expedia Australia.
Expedia today released its 2024 Air Travel Hacks report in a bid to help Australians plan seamless and cost-effective vacations.
“The next 12 months will be a critical period for the Australian aviation industry. We know capacity is now comparable to 2019 levels, but airfares still have a way to go.
This year, eight out of ten most popular flight routes for Australian travelers were to short-haul destinations.
According to Daniel, this is because many Asian carriers have offered attractive deals to entice visitors to stopover in destinations such as Singapore and Japan.
“This will undoubtedly be something to watch in 2024, as price and accessibility continue to determine travel behaviors,” he added.
The next 12 months will be a critical period for the Australian aviation industry. We know capacity is now comparable to 2019 levels, but airfares still have a way to go
When should you book?
Always book your plane ticket on a Sunday for a saving of 20%
Travelers who book on Sunday instead of Friday tend to save on average around 20% on domestic flights and 18% on international flights.
Book your domestic flights at least 14 weeks and your international flights at least one month in advance of travel
Travelers who booked their domestic flights at least 14 weeks before departure saved 20% on average compared to those who waited until the last minute.
International airfares tend to be fairly stable over the six months prior to travel. However, for optimal availability, selection and savings, book at least one month in advance. This can save travelers up to 18 percent.
Friday is the cheapest day to start a trip, but the difference is much more significant for the domestic economy and business than for international.
When should you travel?
Go on a Friday to save up to 27%
Friday is generally the cheapest day to take off.
That said, the difference is much greater for the national economy (-24 percent) and domestic businesses (-27 percent) than for the international economy (-3 percent) and international trade (-12 percent). hundred).
Sundays are on average the most expensive days to start a trip.
Departure after 3 p.m. to reduce the risk of cancellation
Cumulative flight status data reveals that flights that depart before 3 p.m. are, on average, 18% more likely to be canceled than those that depart later in the day.
Fortunately, almost a quarter of Australians (24%) say they try to avoid morning flights because early departures increase their stress levels.
Traveling in March or May
The average duration of delays is shortest in March and May and the average number of canceled flights is lowest in May and highest in February.
Travel Trends
Expensive flights
While the number of scheduled short-haul and long-haul flights is almost at 2019 levels, average ticket prices have increased by up to 20 percent in economy class and 17 percent in premium class.
Sapporo, Japan is the fastest growing destination for Australian travelers (pictured)
Japan is the place to go
Bali, Bangkok and London are some of the most popular destinations for Australian travelers.
However, Sapporo, Japan is the fastest growing destination.
The hack report is based on an analysis of billions of data points and the world’s most comprehensive airline ticket database, thanks to collaboration with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and OAG, the most leading global provider of flight information.
All advice is based on data from January to August 2023.
