**Title**

• Midweek flights are the cheapest, with Tuesday offering the lowest fares.
• Flights with layovers can be up to 22% cheaper than nonstop flights.
• Booking midweek saves travelers about 13% on airfare.
• The best time to book domestic flights is roughly 39 days before departure.

Introduction

Google Flights uses historical pricing data to pinpoint price peaks and troughs. It removes the guesswork from "buy now or wait?" decisions, letting users see when prices are at their lowest and when they start to rise again. Whether you're a planner booking months ahead or a last-minute traveler, the data shows how to avoid overpaying.

The data shows that flights on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are the cheapest, with Tuesday being the lowest. Flying early to mid-week can save travelers about 13% on airfare compared with flying on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Sunday is the most expensive day to fly.

Flights with layovers are consistently cheaper. The Google Flights data indicates that travelers can save 22% by booking a flight with a layover instead of a nonstop flight. The savings can be significant, especially on longer routes.

There aren't really cheaper days to book flights. "It's worth knowing that you won't save much by booking on any particular day of the week," according to the Google Flights report. Tuesday is typically the cheapest day to book, but Tuesday bookings are only 1.3% cheaper than the most expensive day of Sunday.

For domestic flights, prices are usually lowest between 23 and 51 days before the trip, with 39 days before departure being the cheapest on average. For international flights, prices are generally lowest between 49 days or more before the trip, and they usually start to rise within 50 days of the flight. The report recommends booking as early as possible for international travel from the U.S.

• Thanksgiving: Book 24-59 days in advance, ideally 35 days out.
• Christmas: Book 32-73 days in advance, ideally 51 days out.
• Spring break: Book 28-61 days in advance, ideally 43 days out.
• Summer break: Book 14-43 days in advance, ideally 21 days out.

• Europe: Cheapest 48 days or more before departure; book early.
• Mexico & Caribbean: Lowest between 26 and 79 days in advance, with 50 days out being the cheapest.

Thanksgiving: The most searched domestic destinations for trips departing Nov. 23-30 include Columbia, South Carolina; Bozeman, Montana; Detroit, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska, and others. Midsize cities are rising in popularity compared to 2024.

Christmas & New Year's Eve: The most searched destinations for trips departing Dec. 21-Jan. 4 include Rio de Janeiro, St. Lucia, Marrakech, Curaçao, and others. Travelers favored palm-tree destinations over fir-tree spots for Christmas.

• Midweek flights, especially Tuesday, are the cheapest.
• Layovers can save up to 22%.
• Booking around 39 days before domestic departure is optimal.
• For international travel, book as early as possible; prices drop after 49 days.
• Seasonal windows vary, so plan ahead based on your holiday destination.