This is the Worst Day and Time to Fly

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

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New travel rule: All trips should begin and end on Tuesdays. Not only are Tuesdays the cheapest day of the week to fly, but according to a new study by AirHelp, it’s also the day with the least amount of flight cancellations.

Avoid flying on Fridays, when the number of canceled flights is at its highest. Additionally, AirHelp says, you’ll want to refrain from traveling between 4pm – 9:59pm, which is the time period that flights are most likely to be canceled (regardless of which day of the week it is).

Silhouette of people walking through an international departures section of an airport — Rawpixel.com | Adobe Stock

If you want to have the best chance of an on-time arrival, try booking a flight on a Tuesday morning. Morning flights are less likely to be delayed or canceled because the aircraft and crew have generally arrived the night before. You can sometimes avoid weather issues by taking the first flight of the day as well—thunderstorms more commonly occur in the afternoon and evening during the spring and summer.

Afternoon and evening flights are often delayed or canceled due to a cascading effect caused by disruptions to earlier flights—so taking the first flight of the day improves your chances. Plus, if you’re on the first flight of the day and it gets canceled, you’ll have more options to rebook and get out the same day compared to if you were on the last flight of the day.

Days of the Week With the Most Flight Cancellations

Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday

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