Expedia reveals ‘travel hack’ to help Aussies get cheaper flights

If you are not booking your flights at this time, you could be missing out on a big saving.

If you usually fly after 3pm on a Friday you are doing it right.

According to online travel agency Expedia, flights between 3pm and 3am are the least likely to experience cancellations, while Friday is on average the cheapest day of the week to travel.

In fact, the 2024 Expedia Air Travel Hacks Report, released on Wednesday, found travellers who fly on a Friday can save up to 23 per cent on average compared to those who fly on a Sunday, the most expensive day of the week.

However, travellers are warned the reverse applies when it comes to booking.

Sunday is on average the best day of the week to actually book airfares, while Friday is the most expensive.

Booking a domestic economy ticket on a Sunday can save travellers about 20 per cent on average, while booking international flights on this day can save travellers 18 per cent.

Expedia has found the cheapest day to fly, on average, is a Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Brenton Edwards

But how far out from your trip should you book to score the best deal? Expedia has answered that question too.

It found domestic economy travellers booking 14 weeks out from their departure saved up to 20 per cent compared to those who booked last minute.

For international airfares, the advice is to book 27 to 53 days out from the trip.

Flights between 3pm and 3am are least likely to experience cancellations, according to the research. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

The travel company has been releasing its travel hacks report annually for more than a decade, with this year’s report coming at a time when household budgets are particularly stretched.

A survey in August of 1000 Aussie flyers found that almost 1 in 3 found air travel more daunting than making small talk, household chores and a flooded email inbox.

About 32 per cent of them said the process of finding a good flight deal was especially stressful and more than a quarter even checked back after booking to see if they could have got a better deal.

“Booking your next flight doesn’t need to be a stressful process,” said Expedia Australia managing director Daniel Finch.

“The good news is many of the things that contribute to travel stress are getting better, and Expedia is constantly releasing new tools like Price Tracking, that make the whole booking and flying journey smoother.”

Sapporo in Japan has been named the fastest growing destination for Aussie travellers. Picture: istock

Unsurprisingly, the report listed Denpasar in Bali, Indonesia as Australians’ favourite international destination to fly to, followed by Bangkok in Thailand, London in the UK, and Singapore.

According to Expedia’s flight demand data, Auckland, New Zealand came in at number five and Los Angeles, US at number six.

Thailand made another appearance with Phuket the seventh most popular overseas destination, followed by Tokyo in Japan, Nada in Fiji, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Japanese city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido was named the fastest growing destination.

Famous for its beer and skiing, it is becoming a big hit with Aussies.