United Kingdom
Expedia launches Flight Deals helping travellers identify flights that are at least 20% lower than typical
NEW data for this year’s report showcases saver routes under £100 and flight price drops of up to 67% year‑over‑year for Gdansk, Cork and Bordeaux
NEW insights reveal that 19% of Millennials and 17% of Gen Z plan to fly somewhere for just one day
Belfast, Liverpool and Bournemouth emerge as the most affordable UK departure airports.
Today, Expedia® released its 2026 Air Hacks Report, revealing a major shift in traveller savings: Friday, has become the cheapest day of the week to fly, driven by reduced business travel at the end of the week. The report shows that June is the most affordable month to travel, with international destinations Gdansk, Cork and Bordeaux seeing some of the biggest fare drops.
Now in its tenth year, the Expedia Air Hacks Report draws on millions of Expedia data points and new consumer research to highlight how changing traveller behaviours, from extreme day trips to carry‑on‑only packing, are reshaping when Brits choose to take to the skies.
“Business travellers head home earlier in the week these days, so new opportunities are opening up for leisure travellers to save by choosing smarter travel days, like Friday for the best prices or Tuesday for fewer crowds,” said Melanie Fish, spokesperson for Expedia Group Brands public relations. “With Expedia’s Flight Deals now available in the UK, travellers can find quality flights that are at least 20% lower than the norm.”
Key Air Hacks for 2026 include:
- When you fly matters more than when you book:
- June is the most affordable month to travel, with flights 68% cheaper on average than December, saving travellers roughly £250 per ticket.
- Friday is the cheapest day to fly, saving travellers 18% compared to traveling on Saturday.
- For more savings, travellers can take advantage of Expedia’s NEW Flight Deals app feature that scans millions of flights daily to find quality flights from a chosen airport that are at least 20% lower than typically predicted prices for that route.
- Sunday is the best day to book:
- Sunday is the cheapest day to book flights but flying on lower‑demand days unlocks bigger savings.
- For business class travel, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly and Sunday the most expensive, saving 17%.
- Avoid crowds by timing your trip:
- Tuesday is the least busy day of the week to fly, Friday is the busiest.January is the least busy month for air travel, August is the busiest.The least busy travel dates include 4,5, and 9 March and 31 December.
- The busiest travel dates include 24 & 25 October, 24 May and 22 August.
- The “extreme day trip” is a fast‑growing flight trend:
- 24-hour extreme day trips started as a TikTok trend, but it is going mainstream in 2026, as 20% of travellers have already taken a roundtrip flight within 24 hours.
- Expedia data reveals the most popular daytrip destinations for Britons are Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris.
- Book closer than you think — but not last‑minute:
- The most affordable booking window for domestic economy flights is 31 – 45 days before departure, averaging £38 less than bookings made more than six months out.
- International travellers can save £93 on average by booking 15 – 30 days ahead, instead of six months out. For those who don’t want to leave it until the last minute, booking 31 – 45 days out can still save £85 compared to booking six months out.
- Your departure airport can make or break the price:
- Belfast, Liverpool and Bournemouth are the most affordable UK departure airports.
- London Heathrow, Humberside and Manchester are the most expensive UK airports to fly from.
- Saver routes unlock short‑haul and international value:
- International saver routes under £100 include Luton – Poznan, Stansted – Shannon and Liverpool to Bergamo.
- Several international routes to Gdansk (Poland), Cork (Ireland) and Bordeaux (France) are seeing prices drop up to 67% year‑over‑year, making 2026 a standout year for these destinations.
Expedia’s Air Hacks has also looked into in-flight habits and found some peculiar insights:
- 33% of travellers now fly carry‑on only. Additionally, 29% would wear extra layers to dodge baggage fees.
- Top oddities seen by travellers on a flight include bringing smelly food (17%), changing into pyjamas (11%), and wearing full costumes (eg. superhero outfit) (9%), followed by nail-cutting (8%).
- 42% of travellers said that having their seat kicked is the ultimate pet peeve, above people reclining their seats too far (36%) and invading your seat (26%).
- Map the best Flight Deals and then bank more savings with Expedia’s Annual Holiday Sale.
- Use Expedia’s NEW Flight Deals* tool on the app to find quality flights from your chosen airport that are at least 20% lower than typically predicted prices for that route. The tool also features an interactive map to compare destinations, custom deal alerts and allows travellers to filter by destination and travel date.
- Thinking about your big spring or summer trip? Members save up to 40% off select stays during Expedia’s Annual Holiday Sale. Book by March 16, 2026, for stays between February 10 and September 30, 2026.
Check our Expedia’s latest Air Hacks HERE.
APPENDIX
EXPEDIA 2026 AIR HACKS
Cheapest day to BOOK is a Sunday, most expensive is Tuesday (2% saving).
- Saturday is the cheapest day to book business class flights, Wednesday the most expensive (10% saving)
Cheapest month to BOOK is May, most expensive is December – 21% saving.
- Domestic: January is the cheapest month to book domestic flights, most expensive is August (26% saving)
Cheapest day to FLY is a Friday, most expensive is Saturday – (18% saving between the two).
- Business class: Thursday is the cheapest and Sunday the most expensive for business class travel (17% saving between the two)
June is the most affordable month to FLY, with December most expensive (68% cheaper/£250 average cheaper)
The most affordable time to book a domestic economy flight is 31 – 45 days out (£163), the most expensive is 180+ days out (£201) – £38 difference in price.
The most affordable time to book an international economy flight is 15 – 30 days out (£372), the most expensive is 180+ days out (£465) – £93 difference in price.
For those who don’t want to leave it until the last minute, booking 31 – 45 days out (£380) can still save £85 compared to booking 180+ days out.
Time of day to fly:
- 51% of international flyers book morning flights
- 33% of international flyers book afternoon flights
- 15% of international flyers book evening flights
- 1% of international flyers book nighttime flights
- Summary – morning flights are by far the most popular with Brits
Top Destinations Brits fly to:
| Popular: Dublin Amsterdam Bangkok Hong Kong Dubai Delhi New York Barcelona Paris Orlando | Trending: Jamaica (+265%) Nantes, France (+245%) Slovakia (+165%) Mersin Province, Turkey (+165%) Lithuania (+145%) Bodrum, Turkey (+140%) Dordogne, France (+110%) Bergamo, Italy (+90%) Hyogo Prefecture, Japan (+80%) Girona, Spain (+75%) |
Extreme Daytrips: Top international destinations Brits fly to for just 24 hours:
- Dublin (+270%)
- Amsterdam (+40%)
- Paris (+85%)
- Brussels (+185%)
- Frankfurt (0%)
Tuesday is the least busy day of the week to fly, with Friday being the busiest
January is the least busy month to fly, with August the busiest
Quietest dates to travel: March 4, 5 and 9 and December 31 – the least busy dates to fly based on bookings.
The busiest dates to fly seem to be October 24 & 25, May 24 and August 22 (bank holidays)
The three busiest airports for departures in the UK based on Expedia’s booked data for flights flown are LHR, LGW and Manchester.
Airports that are trending upwards based on flight bookings:
- Heathrow +35%
- Gatwick +4%
- Manchester +45%
The most affordable UK airports to fly out of are Belfast (£170), Liverpool (£171) and Bournemouth (£171)
The most expensive UK airports to fly out of are London Heathrow (£533), Humberside (£420) and Manchester (£404)
Saver Routes: International flight routes for under £100
- Luton to Poznan – £79
- Stansted to Shannon – £88
- Liverpool to Bergamo – £92
- Glasgow International to Dublin – £96
- East Midlands to Dublin – £97
Saver routes: International flight routes seeing the biggest YoY decrease in price (40%+ savings):
- Newcastle to Gdansk: -67%
- Manchester to Cork: -65%
- Birmingham to Bordeaux: -58%
- Edinburgh to Cork: -57%
- Norwich to Luqa: -54%
FAQ
Q: How far in advance should I book domestic flights?
A: The most affordable time to book a domestic economy flight is 31 – 45 days out.
Q: How far in advance should I book international flights?
A: The most affordable time to book an international economy flight is 15 – 30 days out.
Q: What tools help identify the cheapest day to fly for specific routes?
A: Expedia’s Flight Deals app feature scans millions of flights daily to find quality flights from a chosen airport that are at least 20% lower than typically predicted prices for that route.
Q: What are the cheapest days to fly in 2026?
A: The cheapest day to fly is a Friday.
Q: What international destinations are trending for 2026?
A: These are the top trending destinations Brits are looking to fly to: Jamaica (+265%), Nantes, France (+245%), Slovakia (+165%, Mersin Province, Turkey (+165%) and Lithuania (+145%).
Q: What day of the week is best for booking flights?
A: The cheapest day to book is a Sunday.
Q: Which international routes are currently under £100?
A: These are the routes that Brits can fly to for under £100: Luton to Poznan, Stansted to Shannon, Liverpool to Bergamo.
Methodology
All average ticket pricing data and 24-hour destinations are based on bookings made on Expedia.co.uk from December 2024 – November 2025, with any comparison metrics compared to December 2023 – November 2024.
Most popular and trending destinations based on searches made on Expedia.co.uk from December 2024 – November 2025, compared to searches made December 2023 – November 2024.
Third-party research was conducted by market research partner OnePoll in accordance with the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct. The Study was conducted online between 9th and 14th January 2026 among 1,000 adult respondents across the UK, who have flown to a holiday abroad in the last 12 months.
Expedia’s Annual Holiday Sale is subject to limited availability. Blackout periods may apply.
