Expedia has released its 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report providing the latest essential tips to save travellers time and money on flights.
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Created in partnership with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and leveraging insights from its global air ticketing database, the annual report has become an authority for eight years running on air travel trends, revealing data-backed hacks and recommendations for travellers, including:
- Best day of the week to book airfares and catch lower prices
- The sweet spot for booking airfares
- How to minimise the risk of being impacted by delays and cancellations
- Cheapest day of the week to depart
Top tips from the Expedia 2023 Air Travel Hacks report include:
- Book airfares on a Sunday to save up to 20%.1 Travellers who booked on Sundays instead of Fridays tended to save, on average, 20% on domestic and international flights.
- Book at least three months before domestic flights and six months before international flights to save an average of 25%.2 Travellers that booked during this period saved on average 30% for domestic flights and 25% for international flights compared to those who waited until the last minute (0 – 30 days out for domestic, 0 – 90 days for international).
- Choose a midday flight to help reduce chance of cancellations.3 Based on year-to-date flight status data, flights that depart between 3p.m – 9p.m. have a 30% higher chance of being delayed, on average, than those that depart at midday (9a.m – 3p.m).
- Start your trip at the end of the week to save up to 20%.4 Travellers who started a trip on a Saturday, versus on a Monday saved up to 20% on domestic flights. For international flights, travellers who departed on a Friday instead of a Sunday saved 10% on average.
“This report does more than save people money,” said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands. “It’s about the time savings and peace of mind that comes with knowing you have industry-leading data-based tips at your fingertips to inform booking decisions.”
“While it has been a volatile recovery, our data indicates travel is beginning to normalise with travellers taking advantage of flying again,” said Chuck Thackston, managing director of data science and research at ARC. “Airlines have improved their performance while both capacity and traveller demand continue to increase. We’re also starting to see business travellers return to the skies following the surge of leisure travel in the first half of 2022.”
View the full 2023 Air Travel Hacks report on the Expedia blog, including more ways to help avoid flight delays, maximise loyalty and rewards programs and save on every trip.
Data sources
1 Best day of the week to book recommendation is based on average round-trip ticket prices for domestic Australian and international flights originating in Australia for January through August 2022, sourced from ARC’s global airline sales database. Percentages noted are averages.
2 Ideal booking window recommendation is based on average round-trip ticket prices for domestic Australian and international flights originating in Australia for January through August for 2022, sourced from ARC’s global airline sales database.
3 How to avoid flight cancellations based on January through August 2022 flight status data for domestic Australian and international flights originating in Australia sourced from OAG’s global flight data platform.
4 Best day of the week to depart recommendation is based on average round-trip ticket prices for domestic Australian and international flights originating in Australia for January through August for 2022, sourced from ARC’s global airline sales database.
