Saturday is the cheapest day to book flights

Reserve on a Saturday and fly on a Thursday — Skyscanner reveals the best and worst days for finding cheap fares

According to new data, Saturday is the best day to book cheap flights. Getty Images

Starting to plan your travels for the year ahead? Then you'll want to know this — the best day to book flights is Saturday and the cheapest day to fly out is a Thursday, according to data released today from Skyscanner.

The information was collected over the course of 2018 and found that UAE-based travellers can save over 10 per cent on fares by departing on a daytime Thursday flight. Surprisingly, the data also confirmed that Thursday is the busiest day to travel.

Research also revealed that by booking travel plans on a Saturday, passengers could save two per cent compared to booking on a Wednesday which is the most expensive day to confirm flights.

While Thursday is typically the busiest and best value day to fly, if you want to avoid crowds then stay away from the airport on Sunday 1 April, it’s the busiest day of the year.

Where to go

The study also looked at the best-value holiday destinations for travellers. Long-haul, Las Vegas came out on top with flight prices down by 21 per cent when compared to last year. Zimbabwe’s Harare and Los Angeles also offer long-haul value with fares dropping 13 and nine per cent respectively since 2017.

In terms of short-haul destinations, Oman came out on top with Salalah flight prices tumbling by 40 per cent and Muscat by 14 per cent. Larnaca and Tashkent were 14 and 13 per cent cheaper while Madurai, Chandigarh and Sharm El Shiekh all saw fares fall by nine per cent in 2018.

Regional options

Travellers can also save money by considering flying from alternative regional airports. According to the data, a family of four flying to London in March could save over Dh3,000 by flying from Dubai instead of from Abu Dhabi airport.

January is traditionally a popular time for people to book travel for 2019 with the first Saturday of the month often referred to as Sunshine Saturday.

Skyscanner's Month View and Search Everywhere tools are good methods for securing cheaper fares when travel plans are flexible. You can also get your hands on a bargain by searching for one-way flights rather than always booking a return with the same airline.

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