11 Sneaky Times to Score 2026's Best Flight Deals (Set Calendar Alerts Now)

3. The weekday play: best days to find lower fares

Many travelers ask which weekday yields the lowest fares. The reality is nuanced: patterns vary by route, carrier, and season. For some U.S. routes, departures midweek—Tuesday through Thursday—tend to be less in demand and therefore cheaper, while weekend travel carries premium pricing. Rather than pinning everything on a single day, build calendar alerts that check fares for a flexible seven-day range around your ideal dates. Create two alerts: one for midweek departures and another for weekend dates to compare. Over several weeks, you’ll see whether your route favors a specific weekday. Use flexible-date features in price tools to reveal the cheapest day within a month and set a follow-up reminder to act if a notable dip appears. This approach avoids brittle rules and gives you concrete comparisons, so decisions are based on observed price behavior instead of general claims.