2 Days To Avoid Booking Summer Travel — and When Smart Travelers Book Instead
According to Skyscanner's 2026 Smarter Summer report, 38% of American travelers still haven’t booked their summer vacations for this year, but they’re actively looking, with 20% saying they’re focused on getting the best price. The report also highlighted that Americans expect to spend an average of $331 on flights for their summer trips abroad, but 25% said they weren’t aware of which part of the summer had the cheapest deals.
We consulted with a travel expert and reviewed the data to unveil optimal booking strategies. Let's explore the days to avoid booking and when you should try to book your summer travel plans.
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The 2 Days To Avoid Booking Summer Travel
Vummy Kihaule, travel expert and senior travel consultant at Tanzania Safaris, advised all clients to avoid booking flights on Sunday and, if possible, to avoid departing on Sunday. Based on Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks, Sunday is in fact the most expensive day to book a flight and to fly out. The data showed that the cheapest day of the week to book flights and travel is Friday, with prices 8% lower than on Sunday departures. If you book a flight on a Sunday, you’re likely to spend 3% more compared to booking it on a Friday.
If you want to fly domestically, then Tuesday flights are 14% cheaper than Sunday flights. However, the Skyscanner summer data show that Mondays are the cheapest day to travel this year if you’re looking to maximize your savings.
Data released by Kayak noted that Wednesdays were the best days for international departures and returns as well as domestic returns, because most people don’t travel midweek. The data also showed that the best time to book international flights is one to two weeks out and 30 days for domestic flights. The research noted that the cheapest flight schedule is to depart on Monday and return on Wednesday.
When it comes to which days to avoid booking summer travel, you want to avoid the days when the most travel is flying because airlines will update their prices to maximize potential profits. For future reference, July 2 is looking to be the busiest day for domestic Fourth of July travel (based on recent trends from Kayak), with average airfares 25% higher than flights on the actual holiday.
The Data Behind Travel Prices
We reviewed data from Skyscanner and Expedia to gather additional insights into summer travel to help you book the smart way to get the best deals.
The following are key points from the Expedia data:
The optimal booking window for most domestic economy flights is 15 to 30 days before departure, costing about $130 less than bookings from over six months out.
The optimal window for international flights is 31 to 45 days out, which can save $190 on average compared to paying six months out.
The following are key points from the Skyscanner data:
The week of Aug. 17, 2026, offers the best value for summer flights.
If you want to travel in September, your cheapest option is Asheville, North Carolina, with an average flight price of $230.
When To Book Your Summer Travel
Kihaule emphasized that for the majority of summer flights, savvy travelers should be price monitoring, but book when the route is in its optimal booking window. The reason for this is that while saving money on flights makes sense, you want to ensure you don’t overspend on experiences and accommodations, since many popular travel destinations fill up six to nine months in advance.
“Book flights by data but book experiences by scarcity,” Kihaule added.
It’s important to remember that even though you can save money by playing the waiting game on airfare, you could lose out on accommodations. If you’re looking to save money on booking summer travel, you’ll want to consider the trends mentioned in this article while setting price alerts so that you don’t miss out on deals that pop up.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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