Expedia released its 2026 Air Hacks Report, revealing a major shift in traveller savings: Thursday has become the cheapest day of the week to fly, driven by reduced business travel at the end of the week.
The report also reveals that September is the most affordable month to travel, with international destinations, Raleigh, Amsterdam and Dublin seeing some of the biggest fare drops.
Now in its 10th year, the Expedia Air Hacks Report draws on millions of Expedia data points and new consumer research (was conducted online among 7,000 adult respondents across seven countries who are planning domestic or international travel in the next 12 months) to highlight how changing traveller behaviours, from micro-cations to carry‑on‑only packing, are reshaping when Canadians 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 Thursday for the best prices or Tuesday for fewer crowds,” says Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations.
KEY AIR HACKS FOR 2026
* all prices Canadian dollars
When you fly matters more than when you book:
- September is the most affordable month to travel, with flights 26% cheaper on average than December, saving travellers roughly $160 per ticket.
- January is the cheapest month to fly domestically, driven by lower demand after the holidays.
Thursday is the new best day to fly:
- Monday is the cheapest day to book flights and Saturday is the most expensive day.
- Flying on a Thursday instead of Saturday can save up to 8%, while Friday is the cheapest day to fly domestically.
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 being the busiest.
- The least busy travel dates include Nov. 25, Dec. 10, April 8 and June 10
- The busiest travel dates include Aug. 1 and 15, June 27 and Oct. 10
The “extreme micro-cations” is a fast‑growing flight trend:
- 24-hour ‘micro-cations’ started as a TikTok trend but is going mainstream in 2026, as 24% of travellers saying they have already taken a round-trip flight within 24 hours.
- Expedia data reveals the most popular daytrip destinations are New York, Chicago and Washington.
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 $185 less than bookings made more than six months out.
- International travellers can save $190 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 ahead can still save $185 compared to booking six months out.
Your departure airport can make or break the price:
- Abbotsford, BC, Kitchener, Ont., and Hamilton, Ont., are the most affordable Canadian departure airports.
- Montreal YUL, Quebec YQB and Ottawa YOW are the most expensive airports from which to fly.
Saver routes unlock short‑haul and international value:
- International saver routes under $400 include Kitchener to Fort Lauderdale, Saskatoon to Minneapolis and St John’s to Tampa
- Several international routes, including flights to Raleigh, Amsterdam and Dublin are seeing prices drop up to 41% year‑over‑year, making 2026 a standout year for these destinations.
In‑flight habits are evolving:
- 41% of travellers now fly carry‑on only with 29% confessing they would wear extra layers to dodge baggage.
- Top oddities seen by travellers on a flight include bringing smelly food (23%), nail-cutting (17%), followed by seeing someone flossing their teeth at the seat (12%) and seeing a couple going to the toilet together (12%).
- 39% of travellers said that having their seat kicked is the ultimate pet peeve, above seats reclining too far and crying babies.
- Over a third of travellers (36%) have asked a stranger or flight attendant to swap seats. Among those seat‑swappers, the leading reason was to sit with family or friends (58%), but 30% admit they did it in the hopes of snagging a window seat.
- 41% of travellers now fly carry‑on only, with 29% confessing they would wear extra layers to dodge baggage fees
MORE HACKS
Cheapest day to BOOK is a Monday, most expensive is Saturday (3% saving)
- CA domestic: Sunday is the cheapest day to book, Wednesday the most expensive (5% saving)
- Friday is the cheapest day to book business class flights, Tuesday the most expensive (4% saving)
Cheapest month to BOOK is July, most expensive is November (13% saving)
- Domestic: January is the cheapest month to boom domestic flights, most expensive is November – 25% saving
Cheapest day to FLY is a Thursday, most expensive is Saturday (8% cheaper)
- CA domestic: Friday is the cheapest and Monday the most expensive (7% saving)
September is the most affordable month to fly, with December the most expensive (26% cheaper/ $175 average)
- January is the cheapest month to fly domestically, with December the most expensive (27% cheaper)
The most affordable time to book a domestic economy flight is 31 – 45 days out, the most expensive is 180+ days out – $185 difference in price.
The most affordable time to book an international economy flight is 15 -30 days out, the most expensive is 180+ days out – $190 difference in price.
- For those who don’t want to leave it until the last minute, booking 31 – 45 days out can still save $185 compared to booking 180+ days out.
Time of day to fly:
- 46% of domestic flyers & 47% of international flyers book morning flights
- 30% of domestic flyers & 28% of international flyers book afternoon flights
- 19% of domestic flyers & 20% of international flyers book evening flights
- 5% of domestic flyers & 5% of international flyers book nighttime flights
Top 10 most popular destinations Canadian’s fly to:
Domestic:
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Montreal
- Halifax County
- Winnipeg
- Ottawa
- Kelowna
- St John’s
International:
- Delhi, India
- Manila, Philippines
- Orlando, USA
- Cancun, Mexico
- Fort Lauderdale, USA
- Las Vegas, USA
- Los Angeles, USA
- London, UK
- Tokyo, Japan
- Miami, USA
Extreme daytrips
Top international destinations Canadian’s fly to for just 24 hours:
- New York
- Chicago
- Washington
The busiest:
- 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: November 25, December 10, April 8 – – the least busy dates to fly based on bookings.
- The busiest dates to fly seem to be Aug. 1 and 15, June 27
- The three busiest airports for departures in Canada based on Expedia’s booked data for flights flown are Toronto (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR) and Montreal (YUL).
Airports that are trending upwards based on flight bookings:
- Thunder Bay, Ont. YQT +37%
- Kelowna, BC, YLW +13%
- St John’s, Nfld, YYT +11%
The most affordable Canadian airports to fly out of are:
- Abbotsford, BC ($257)
- Kitchener, ON ($341)
- Hamilton, ON ($478)
The most expensive Canadian airports to fly out of are:
Montreal YUL ($884)
Quebec YQB ($850)
Ottawa YOW ($783)
Saver Routes: International flight routes for under $400 CAD
- Kitchener to Fort Lauderdale ($305)
- Saskatoon to Minneapolis ($355)
- St John’s to Tampa ($368)
- London, On to Orlando ($376)
- Comox to Orange County ($389)
Saver routes: International flight routes seeing the biggest YoY decease in price (25%+ savings:
- Winnipeg to Raleigh: -41%
- Halifax to Amsterdam: -38%
- St John’s to Dublin: -36%
- Kelowna to Tampa: -34%
- Vancouver to Shanghai: -30%
If you enjoyed or found this story useful, we’d appreciate if you would forward it to a colleague or friend who may also enjoy it. If, on the other hand, a friend shared it with you, welcome! You can get all the latest travel news and reviews from Travel Industry by simply clicking HERE.