Summary
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often less busy for air travel due to fewer passengers mid-week.
- Weekends and holidays result in busier and more expensive flights, especially Friday evenings and Sunday mornings.
- Traveling early in the morning or late at night can provide a quieter experience, with fewer passengers familiar with airport routines.
Have you ever noticed the difference between flying during a regular weekday and a holiday weekend? Getting through airport check-in, security, and boarding becomes quite the breeze when there isn’t chaos around, like during most holiday travels. Traveling in the middle of the week also means less crowded airports than during weekends. Simple Flying explores which time of the year is less busy for air travel, including days and times of the week.
Best days of the week
There isn’t a definitive answer to which day of the week is the quietest. It is worth doing some research into the airport from which you are flying. However, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often less busy. This is because you have to take more days off work to fly mid-week, which people are usually reluctant to do. Midweek fares are also often cheaper than weekends.
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In contrast, traveling near or on weekends is typically more expensive and busier. Leisure travelers looking to enjoy a weekend away tend to go on Friday and Monday. At the same time, passengers who commute every week for work also travel on Monday and Friday to return home for the weekend. As such, Sundays can be busy as business travelers try to get a head start on the week ahead.
Similarly, people traveling for extended vacations tend to travel during the weekend to maximize holiday time. Friday nights and Saturday mornings can see some airports busier than ever, so traveling before 4 pm on Fridays could be better. Weekend flights are more in demand and subsequently more expensive.

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The exception to the rule
There is one big exception to the rule: package holiday companies. For some tourist destinations, a large percentage of flights are operated by or in partnership with package holiday companies. In these cases, if you aren’t traveling with one of these companies, the quietest day is just any day, not a changeover day.
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Generally, there is a standardized changeover day (or days) when holiday companies carry vast numbers of passengers over two days. Typically, this is the weekend, but the changeover day can be mid-week if they want to allow passengers a whole weekend at the destination. If the changeover day is a Tuesday, this will become the busiest day, while the weekend might become quiet.
Best time of the day
As the old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. Getting up early is your best option if you can’t fly on one of the quieter days. If the flight leaves before 8 AM, meaning you must arrive around 5-6 AM, you should be in for a quiet time. Fewer people prefer to travel that early.
However, not everyone can function that early. If you’re a night owl, flying late is also a good option. It may be busier than morning, as many people who fly for business will fly overnight to arrive in time for meetings the next day. So, while you will have to deal with more travelers, they are more likely to be frequent flyers familiar with the airport routine, reducing congestion.
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Worst times of the year to fly
Holidays and peak travel seasons call for hiked airfares, crowded airports, and travel congestion. During those times, not only is air travel more costly and inconvenient, but passengers do not get the type of service they pay for. Upgraded Points show some of the worst travel times of the year for air travel in the United States and when the fares are generally hiked during the time period.
Holiday/School Break |
When |
Higher Fares Date Range |
---|---|---|
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
The weekend of the third Monday in January. |
Thursday until Tuesday |
President’s Day |
The weekend of the third Monday in February. |
Thursday until Tuesday |
Spring Break |
The timing differs depending on the school, but it is usually in March or April, often the week before or after Easter. |
Weekend days are from March through April at beach destinations. |
Memorial Day |
The weekend of the last Monday in May. |
Thursday until Tuesday |
Summer break |
Extending from the end of May in the South to the beginning of September in the North. |
Higher fares are typically domestic and international. |
Independence Day |
July 4 |
Two or three days before and after, usually only to and from locations known for their celebrations. |
Labor Day weekend |
The weekend of the first Monday in September. |
Thursday until Tuesday |
Thanksgiving |
The fourth Thursday of November. |
Saturday before until the Sunday after |
Christmas and New Year’s Eve |
December 25 and December 31. |
December 20 to January 3, or possibly longer |

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The bottom line
A quick cheat sheet on the quietest times to fly is:
- Off-peak time of the year (February to April and September to November)
- Mid-week (Tuesday and Wednesday)
- Early morning (12 AM to 6 AM)
Traveling during off-peak times will generally ensure lower fares, less crowded airports, relatively convenient travel, and greater chances of receiving the promised services. Air travel over a holiday period or during a major event typically results in overcrowded airports at most times. Regarding the day of the week, traveling on Tuesday or Wednesday will mean avoiding the highest fares and the busiest times. Moreover, an early morning flight will reduce the chance of queueing for hours.
Do you have any tips or tricks for a smooth airport experience? When do you prefer to fly? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.