Expedia’s new 2025 Air Hacks Report is debunking myths.  For example, ‘Summer is an expensive time to travel’.  Nah … turns out July, a peak summer travel time, is the cheapest month to travel. Average air ticket prices are up to 11 percent cheaper in July than March when booking a trip from a Canadian origin airport.

In this year’s report, Expedia challenges common travel misconceptions with an analysis of billions of data points and the most extensive air ticketing database in the world, through collaboration with Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and Official Airline Guide (OAG).

Myth #1: “Summer is always the most expensive time to travel.” 

Busted: July is the cheapest month to travel, March is the most expensive.

• Travelling economy in July instead of March can save travellers up to11 percent and flying premium in July instead of September can save up to 13 percent.

Myth #2: “The day of the week I book my flight doesn’t matter.” 

Busted: Booking on a Sunday can keep more in your wallet.

• Booking on the right day can make a world of difference. Sunday is officially the cheapest day to book flights, with savings of up to 10 percent compared to booking on a Friday.

Myth #3: “The day of the week I travel doesn’t affect the cost.” 

Busted: Thursdays and Fridays are the cheapest day to depart.

• It’s not just when you book, it’s when you fly. Domestic travellers who depart on Friday instead of Monday can save up to 23 percent. On the international front, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly—travellers can save up to 7 percent compared to flying on a Saturday.

Myth #4: “The further ahead you book, the cheaper it will be.” 

Busted: There’s a magic window when it comes to booking flights.

• Booking too far in advance can actually cost travellers. When travelling domestic, booking 63-72 days out can save travellers up to 16 percent in comparison to the average ticket price. For international voyages, the sweet spot is closer to departure at 43-54 days out, with a savings of up to 5 percent.

Myth #5: “Premium tickets are always too expensive to consider.” 

Busted: Premium fare is now lower than in 2019.

• Thinking of upgrading? The price gap between premium and economy tickets is 3 percent smaller than it was pre pandemic.

Myth#6: “Every flight I take always seems full”

Busted: Carefully choosing the day can mean less crowds.

• Tuesday is the quietest day to travel with Friday being the busiest. January is the least busy month for air travel.

“It’s smart to keep the 2025 Air Hacks in mind when booking flights, but the best hack is to let technology find the best value. Set up Expedia’s Flight Price Tracker on the app. It notifies you when flight prices change and uses data to help you decide when to book,” said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations.

“The peak of summer is the cheapest month to fly, and booking too far out can actually cost you money – these realities fly in the face of advice floating around the internet,” said Melanie Fish. “It makes sense to trust the billions of data points from across the world and every airline that go into the Expedia Air Hacks report.”

“ARC’s data provided valuable insights into debunking travel myths for Expedia’s 2025 Air Hacks Report that will go a long way to helping travellers prepare for their 2025 vacations,” said Chuck Thackston, managing director of data science and research at ARC. “In 2025, affordable premium and economy fares can help passengers as they continue to prioritize international travel with their discretionary spending to explore new destinations around the world.”

Expedia’s 2025 Air Hacks Report also uncovers the most popular and trending destinations Canadian travellers are flying to. Internationally, Las Vegas, New Delhi, Orlando, and London are among top the most popular, and domestically Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montréal top the list.

Trending international destinations seeing over 70 percent rise in popularity include Dallas, U.S.A. (+250 percent), Florence, Italy (+110 percent), Cuaco, Peru (+90 percent) and Okinawa, Japan (+80 percent).  Trending domestic destinations experiencing a 60 percent or more rise in visitors, include Edmonton (+255 percent), Toronto (+255 percent) Kitchener-Waterloo (+60 percent), and Winnipeg (+60 percent).

More from the 2025 Air Hacks Full Report

WHEN TO BOOK

• Book airfare on a Sunday to save up to 10 percent. Travellers booking on Sundays can save up to 15 percent on domestic flights compared to Fridays, and up to 9 percent on international flights compared to Fridays.
• Book domestic flights at least 63 days in advance to save up to 16 percent. Travellers who booked 63 to 72 days before departure saved up to 44 percent compared to those who waited until the last minute (6-12 days before departure).
• Book international airfare 43 to 54 days before departure to maximize savings. Travellers who booked during this ideal window saved up to 11 percent compared to those who booked 6 to 12 days in advance, the ‘worst’ time to book.

 

WHEN TO TRAVEL

• Depart on a Thursday for international trips to save up to 8 percent. Travellers who depart on Thursdays save up to 8 percent compared to those who depart on Sundays, the most expensive day to start an international trip.
• Depart on a Friday for domestic trips to save up to 23 percent. Travellers who depart on Fridays save up to 23 percent compared to those departing on Mondays, which are typically the priciest days for domestic travel.
• Depart before 3 p.m. to reduce chance of cancellations.3 Flights departing between 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. are most likely to experience cancellations, followed by 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. flights which have a 16 percent higher chance overall.
• Cancellations are lowest in March. With just 1.9 percent of flights cancelled on average, March is the most reliable for travel, offering lower cancellation rates compared to other times of the year.
• July is the cheapest month for economy tickets. Travellers can save up to 11 percent by traveling in July, compared to March, the most expensive month for economy tickets.
• July is the cheapest month for premium tickets. Travellers can save up to 13 percent by traveling in July, compared to September, the most expensive month for premium tickets.
• Fly on Tuesday to avoid the crowds. Travellers who fly on Tuesdays may enjoy quieter airports. While it may not always be the cheapest day to travel, it’s the best choice for those seeking a more relaxed trip.

 MONEY-SAVING TOOLS

• Price Tracking: Take the guess work out of deciding when to book with Price Tracking on the Expedia app, which notifies travellers when flight prices change and uses exclusive data to help travellers decide when to book.
• Bundling: With flights, car rentals, hotels and activities, Expedia offers a wide selection of customizable vacation packages in one place, allowing travellers to save hundreds of dollars on average when booking multiple items on Expedia. Whether booking items together in the same transaction or in steps, travellers also have their itinerary all in one place making it easier to keep track of their journey.

2025 AIR TRAVEL TRENDS

• Economy ticket prices are down: Economy tickets have decreased by 4.5 percent compared to 2023.
• The price gap between premium and economy tickets is 3 percent lower than in 2019. Now is a great time to upgrade to business or first class for a more comfortable travel experience compared to pre-pandemic years.
• Most popular destinations: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montréal range among the most popular domestic destinations for Canadian flyers. For international destinations, Las Vegas, New Delhi, Cancún and London.
• Trending international destinations: The international destinations that are seeing increases in Canadian visitors are Dallas, U.S.A. (+250 percent), Bucharest, Romania (+215 percent), Detroit, USA (+150 percent) Florence, Italy (+110), Cuaco, Peru (+90 percent) and Okinawa, Japan (+80 percent).
• Trending domestic destinations: The Canadian destinations that are seeing the biggest increase in visitors are Edmonton (+255 percent), Toronto (+225 percent), Montréal.(+115 percent), Kitchener-Waterloo (+60 percent) and Winnipeg (+60 percent).
• New airports are opening around the world, improving travel connections. Tulum International Airport (Mexico) and Rajkot International Airport (India) both opened in December 2023, Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (Cambodia) opened in October 2023, Çukurova International Airport (Turkey) opened in August 2024, and Sao Jose dos Campos (Brazil) opened in February 2024.22

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