【1985 Archives】

Flying985 Archivesexpensive, and people are always looking for hacks to get a good deal. Luckily for those people, Google Flights — perhaps the most common tool used by air travelers — has revealed data showing some of the secrets to traveling for cheap. Among those findings was the cheapest day to book a flight, which could prove super useful the next time you book a vacation.

We parsed through the data and pulled out some key findings for the next time you book a flight.

What's the cheapest day to book a flight?

In short, Tuesday is the cheapest day to book a flight. Not necessarily to actually fly, but to complete the act of booking. Now, be forewarned, this might not save you a ton of money. Google noted Tuesday was historically the cheapest day to book, but, on average, saved just 1.3 percent compared to the most expensive day to book, which is Sunday. Still, 1.3 percent isn't nothing.

Now, as for the day to actually fly, it's pretty simple: avoid weekends. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are 13 percent cheaper than flying on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Those savings rise to 20 percent for international travel, Google reported. If you've ever perused Google Flights, this tracks. And it makes sense: More folks are willing and able to travel on weekends, thus creating demand and higher prices.

Other cheap flight hacks

Google noted a few other tips for flying for cheap and, well, they're kind of what you'd expect. Dealing with a layover, for instance, will save you about 25 percent on average, compared to a non-stop flight.

The report from Google also has some interesting notes about when to book travel. Booking Christmas travel is cheapest 58 days before the holiday, for instance, while traveling to Europe tends to be cheapest 94 days before the flight.

In general, it's best to plan ahead and make the final purchase on a Tuesday well before your scheduled takeoff.

(Editor: {typename type="name"/})