The Best Time to Fly, According to the Experts

There’s no feeling quite like booking a much-needed vacation—research has shown that planning a trip or choosing a hotel alone can increase dopamine levels before you even take off. And if it feels like you have a daily routine that just drags on, travel can make life feel longer in a more fulfilling and indulgent way. But figuring out the best time to fly can be tricky.

Travel too early, and you risk being exhausted when you arrive. Too late, and you’ll miss out on valuable holiday time. Flying on weekends tends to be more expensive, but traveling on weekdays eats into your PTO. There’s lots to consider, so we asked travel experts and editors to let us in on their top tips on the best times to fly. For more advice, check out our guide on the best time to book a flight, read about the best ways to find cheap flights, and discover the best time of day to fly to avoid cancellations.

The best time of day to fly depends on what you're looking for. If affordable seating is a priority, fly out in the late evening, and if you'd like to skip the hectic crowds at the airport, spring for that early morning flight.

An early morning flight can have lots of perks. You’ll avoid the rush hour traffic and the manic security lines; you’ll be first in line for a coffee when you arrive at the airport; and, if you’re traveling short haul, you have the whole day ahead of you once you land. Equally, there is a reduced chance of flight delays for early morning flights. “If traveling short-haul, I think first thing in the morning is the best time to fly as aircrafts usually have better punctuality at that time because they are the first flight out of the airport,” says Paul Charles, former Virgin Atlantic Director and CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency. “The later in the day you fly, the more chance the aircraft would have been held up somewhere else from an earlier flight.”

“Even though I hate waking up so early, I try to fly as early as possible on the way out to maximize time on holiday,” says Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveller UK’s commerce writer.

Flying throughout the day is a much gentler way to travel. There are no daunting wake-up times or exhausting late-night arrivals, and you arrive feeling much more refreshed. The flight becomes part of the vacation, and the excitement builds as you join the throngs of fellow travelers as they go on their adventures.

“I used to opt for the early flight out and late flight back, but I’ve recently decided it’s not worth it,” says Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveller UK’s deputy digital editor. “Now, I choose a mid-morning flight out, and I like to land at lunchtime when I return. If you fly out early, you’re shattered throughout your first day, so you don’t have as much fun anyway, and if you fly back late, you’re typically just waiting around, luggage in tow, until it’s time to head to the airport. Plus you’ll be exhausted the whole of the next week.”

Evening flights can be great if you’re looking for a cheaper option. Kayak, a travel search engine, shared data with Condé Nast Traveller UK that showed flights are typically more affordable early in the day or late at night. Plus, they're ideal if you’re looking to travel after work and arrive in time for a late-night bite. “If it’s short haul, I like to fly in the early evening so I can go after work,” says Abigail Malbon, CNT’s global audience growth manager. “Similarly, with long distances, catching a flight overnight is better so I can get a good night’s sleep and start adjusting to the time at the location I’m traveling to.”

In addition to personal preference, the decisions of other travelers also factor into pinpointing the best day in the week to fly.

Flying on different days of the week can impact important travel factors like airfare costs and airport crowds. According to Kayak, travelers can find “cheaper fares mid-week, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays often being more affordable days to fly out and return home.” Rachel Mumford, Kayak’s UK Travel Expert, tells us that “mid-week flights tend to be less popular amongst both leisure and business travelers, so airlines often lower prices to fill seats.”

“The best day of the week to fly, for leisure, is a Tuesday, in my view,” says Charles. “This avoids the weekend city break travelers and the families, so you tend to get better seat availability. Having said that, it depends on the destination you’re going to.”

“Choosing which day to travel depends on the aim of your holiday,” Sophie Knight, Condé Nast Traveller UK’s visuals editor, says. “If I’m doing a weekend away, I hate wasting valuable holiday days, so I try to book my flights accordingly—leaving Friday after work and returning late on a Sunday. Obviously, these tend to be the more expensive flights, so I try to keep an eye out for cheap flight deals.”

“I think the best month of the year to fly for leisure is October,” says Charles. “It is past peak season; you still get frequent services before the winter timetable change; it’s still warm in Europe and getting warmer in Africa; and flight prices are more reasonable. But avoid the last week of October when it’s half-term as prices will be higher then.”

“I like to break up the long stretch of winter by traveling in February,” says Malbon, “The February weather in the UK is bleak, so I love the joy of leaving a rainy England and traveling to see the sun for the first time in months.”

This article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.