Consider these affordable dates when making your summer travel plans
Book Your Plane Tickets Now: These Are the Two Cheapest Days to Fly This Summer
Published on May 23, 2025
With Memorial Day only days away, it’s becoming crystal clear that summer is just around the corner. As schools begin to wind down for the year and graduations abound, you may be starting to think about your summer travel plans. But if you’re planning to fly to your summer vacation destination, you may want to start booking your tickets sooner rather than later. Haven’t hit “buy” just yet? Though airfare prices are already high during peak travel times, the good news is there are still a couple of days during which you can score the cheapest airfare of the season.
Keep reading to find out which two days are the cheapest for taking your much-needed vacation and which dates are the busiest and most expensive during the summer travel season, according to the newly released Expedia Summer Travel Outlook.
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What are the two cheapest days to fly?
Summer vacations can cost a pretty penny, but if you’re looking to save a little bit of money on airfare, consider booking travel on Tuesday, Aug. 19, or Monday, Aug. 25. These are the two cheapest dates for domestic travel this summer, according to the report.
What makes these two days the cheapest?
The cost of airfare has a lot to do with demand, so the more days that people are looking to purchase tickets on a particular day, the more expensive those tickets will be. Because Tuesday, Aug. 19, and Monday, Aug. 25, are at the tail end of summer, Expedia shares that those dates are cheaper because people are likely winding down their summer travel as schools start back up for the fall semester. In some states, schools are already back in session in mid- to early August.
What are the cheapest times to travel overall?
Fly anytime in late August and you’re more likely to score affordable fares and avoid crowds. Both domestic and international trips are cheaper during this time—again, largely because summer vacations are drawing to a close.
When is the most expensive time to travel?
If you plan to travel earlier in the summer, it might cost you! Not only do flights at the end of June and the beginning of July tend to cost the most, but that’s also when you’ll encounter the biggest crowds of the season. Sometimes you can’t avoid traveling during these particularly expensive periods, but at least you’ll know what to expect when you buy your plane tickets.
What are the peak summer travel times?
There’s no getting around it: Once school is out of session, summer is one of the busiest seasons for travel. However, there are certain peak periods that are particularly busy, not to mention expensive.
The busiest travel period during the summer months is from early to mid-June. This goes hand in hand with the timing of many schools across the country starting summer break, meaning many families are ready to go on vacation. In fact, Thursday, June 19, which also happens to be Juneteenth, is right up there with Thanksgiving Day as one of the busiest travel days of the year.
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Source
- Expedia: “Summer Travel Outlook”
