What’s the best day of the week to fly? When should you book to get the best deals? When is the airport the quietest? We have all the answers from a 2026 Air Hacks Report…
Feeling like it’s time to book a holiday already? We’re with you. But before you go ahead and book anything – make sure you know the secrets to getting the best deals.
Today, Expedia has released its 2026 Air Hacks Report, which show which day of the week is the most affordable to fly as well as which month (although, it’s an entirely different month you’ll need to actually book those flights), as well as some very interesting findings about how Kiwi’s like to travel, and where.
When To Book:
Okay, yes, let’s cut to the chase. The Air Hacks Report found that…
BEST SAVINGS
- If you want the cheapest flights, you want to depart on a Friday. You’ll save up to 13% compared to a Sunday (apparently this is down to the fact that by Friday there is a greatly reduced number of business travellers).
- February is the cheapest month to fly, with savings of up to 64% (around $630) compared to December.
- The most affordable booking window is four to six weeks before departure for economy flights. Compared to six months out: Domestic flyers can save an average of $115. International flyers can save an average of $275. Early planners can still save around $105 booking three months out.
- October is the best month to actually book a holiday (travellers can save up to 8% compared to booking in March)
BEAT THE CROWDS
- Want the least hectic travel experience possible? Sunday is the quietest travel day; Friday is the busiest.
- If you want a more chilled airport experience, avoid the morning rush! More than 57% of domestic departures and 47% of international departures are in the morning.
- February is the least hectic month to travel; September is the busiest.
- The quietest travel dates of the year fall between the of February through to mid-March.
- The busiest travel dates of the year are: Good Friday and Boxing Day
Where Kiwis Are Flying…
In the last year, the most popular domestic destination for Kiwis to head, was Auckland (followed by Christchurch, Wellington, Queenstown and Otago).
Internationally, the top three positions all went to Aussie cities:
The top 10 most popular international destinations were:
1. Sydney, Australia
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Brisbane, Australia
4. Manila, Philippines
5. Nadi, Fiji
6. Tokyo, Japan
7. London, UK
8. Bali, Indonesia
9. Bangkok, Thailand
10. Singapore
But keep an eye on these destinations – they all grew massively in popularity recently. In the last year these are the top 10 trending destinations Kiwis are flying to:
1. Nha Trang, Vietnam – travel was up 285%
2. Hiroshima, Japan +185%
3. Phu Quoc, Vietnam +120%
4. Ontario, Canada +105%
5. Hyogo, Japan +90%
6. Warsaw, Poland +65%
7. Sunshine Coast, Australia +60%
8. Washington, USA +60%
9. Mauritius +50%
10. Singapore +30%
Our Travel Habits…
It seems there are a few bad travel habits that we can all agree on. A whopping 40% of Kiwi travellers said that having their seat kicked is the ultimate pet peeve, above people reclining their seats too far (31%), crying babies (27%), and people invading their seat space (25%).
The study found the majority of us prefer a window seat and a growing number of us have asked to swap seats. Over a third (36%) of Kiwi travellers have asked a stranger or flight attendant to swap seats. Among those seat-swappers, the leading reason was to sit with family or friends (45%), but 26% admit they did it in the hopes of snagging a window seat.
