Why you shouldn’t fly on Friday after 3pm

The The most important moments of the epidemic They may be well on their way to becoming a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean that the sense of global chaos that has turned ordinary human routines, such as travel, into a near-painful feat still lingers among millions of people.

There are not a few travelers who can now feel passively prepared after two years of closures, regulations, long queues, overselling, lost baggage, cancellations and delays, among many other problems caused by the questionable preparation of airlines in times of emergency, too Such as pilot shortage and staff at airports.

For those who consider themselves part of that group of people, the latest report from Air Travel Hacks 2023 From Air Reporting Corporation (ARC) and Expedia published on Wednesday it can be very helpful before planning your next plane trips, international or domestic.

The study, which analyzed data for millions of passengers and more than 200,000 daily flights, revealed some interesting trends that could save travelers a lot of money in the next year.

First of all, among the tips and tricks we can glean from the investigation:

• Never book a flight ticket for Fridayis the day of the week when prices are usually at their highest point

• Don’t wait until the last minute To buy a ticket

• Don’t book a take off After three in the afternoonThere is a 50% chance that he will be late

ARC Insights’ eighth annual report makes use of the world’s largest airline ticket dataset, which includes more than 15 billion passenger flights on 490 airlines.

Best day to book a flight

According to the document, the best day of the week to book a flight ticket is SundayTravelers can save 5% on domestic flights and 15% on international flights on average, compared to booking on Friday.

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Waiting until the last minute could be a mistake. Those who book domestic travel a month in advance can save up to 10%, roughly the same if they book an international flight six months in advance.

The The cheapest day to fly is WednesdayWhich promises savings of up to 15%, says the report. Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays are the most expensive days.

For those who prefer to travel in the afternoon, the statistics come with bad news: a flight is more likely to be delayed (50%), and more likely to be canceled (64%).

According to Air Travel Hacks 2023, the flight reliability information in the report is an average based on data from the digital flight information provider OAG, on flights departing from the United States during the months from January to August.

Sundays are usually the worst days when it comes to canceling, while Wednesdays are the best, but that can change dramatically from week to week and upon departure from the airport, ARC notes.

There is good news

The situation is not limited to the United States. The report warns of that Airlines around the world saw higher cancellation rates in 2022 Compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, a situation he blames on a number of factors.

From limited airline resources and air traffic control issues, to crew flight time restrictions and bad weather, the “cascade effect” of delays and cancellations multiplies as the week progresses.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. ARC says global cancellation rates are now much closer to normal levels thanks to additional resources being deployed by airlines, airports and aviation authorities.

In the past six weeks, since the report’s data was collected, flight cancellations have dropped dramatically. Air travel has begun to normalize and return to normal for business travel, after an increase in leisure travel during the first half of 2022.

In the wake of the episode dubbed “Flight of Armageddon” by the media, aviation authorities learned their lesson and airlines improved their performance, as demand and carrier capacity continued to increase.

The report recommends not panicking, planning ahead, and avoiding Fridays—and last-day trips—one of the best ways to get out front and not deal with stressful delays and cancellations.

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