The Cheapest Days For Americans To Travel This Summer

It’s clear that many Americans and Europeans are experiencing wanderlust and many are planning to travel to a European country this summer, with U.S./EU travel up by 862% in March 2022.

But with demand high, the threat of rising costs due to inflation and the Ukraine war, and the fact that more people can travel at off-peak times, it’s harder to find a bargain:

• What’s more, many airlines are having to cancel flights due to staff shortages, notably pilots. CNBC reported that JetBlue told employees that it will cut its summer capacity by as much as 10% and Alaska Airlines will cut 2% of its flights to combat pilot shortage, as airlines battle to meet pent-up demand for travel.
• The Telegraph reported travel chaos earlier in April, particularly at London Heathrow, as EasyJet and British Airways were forced to cancel flights due to staff shortages–a particular problem as people headed away over the school holidays.
• Skytra has reported an increasing convergence in pricing between internal North American and intra-European airfares, with North American airfares being more expensive than internal European airfares on an increasing number of days since November 2021–but more so in March 2022 than at any other time.

But there are some crucial pieces of advice to ensure that travelers find the best deals possible:

• Expedia told Condé Nast Traveler that the cheapest days to fly for people based in the U.S. are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as people are less likely to start a trip on these days.
• According to Expedia’s projections, Tuesday, August 23 is the cheapest day to fly this summer, for anyone looking to grab a bargain in the U.S.
• The best summer fares are to be had from August 13 to August 29 and July will be the priciest month.
• For domestic U.S. travel, it is best to have a booking window of 60 days before departure, where historically it has been best at 35-40 days.