Report reveals air travel hacks - including cheapest days to book flights

The sweet spot for cheap travel is booking 112-133 days in advance, but buying six months ahead will be just as expensive as leaving it to the last minute, the data revealed.

Flights between 9am and 3pm are least likely to experience cancellations, and the best time to travel without delays and cancellations is January.

But the cheapest day to actually travel is a Friday, which can save tourists 26 per cent than if they go on a Sunday, which is the most expensive day.

The findings were revealed as part of Expedia's 2024 Air Travel Hacks Report, which provides tips to save travellers time and money on flights and make air travel less stressful, based on billions of data points from the Airline Reporting Corporation's (ARC) global airline sales database.

It comes after a survey of 2,000 air travellers found 34 per cent worry about getting through security checks, while 27 per cent stress about when to collect their baggage.

Relieving travel stress

Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) are afraid of forgetting their passport before a flight, and 49 per cent are terrified they will leave credit cards and money at home as well.

To get some peace, bookstores are deemed the calmest areas of an airport by 36 per cent.

These are followed by duty free shops (32 per cent), restaurants (31 per cent) and even the toilets, (21 per cent), according to the OnePoll.com figures.

When travelling, 33 per cent would be willing to pay extra to choose their own seat and 30 per cent would part with more cash in exchange for more leg room.

One in four are happy to pay for a direct flight compared to one that has a connection and 21 per cent will pay for lounge access.

Melanie Fish, spokesperson for Expedia Group, said: "No way should people rather do their taxes than go on a trip, so thank goodness a lot of the things causing travel-related stress are getting better.

"Fewer flights are being cancelled and technology is helping with tools in the Expedia app like Price Tracking that make the whole booking and flying journey smoother."

Top 20 stresses of air travel

1. Flight delays or cancellations
2. Long lines/crowds
3. Getting stuck in traffic on the way to the airport
4. The size of the queue at security
5. Lost luggage
6. Security check
7. Border and passport check/customs clearance
8. Tight connecting flights
9. Sitting in a confined spot for an extended period
10. Baggage collection
11. Misplacing your passport
12. Missing boarding
13. Illness
14. Overweight luggage
15. Forgetting to pack something
16. Not being able to sit together with your travel partners
17. Sitting next to a stranger on the plane
18. Full overhead baggage storage
19. Boarding or exiting the plane
20. Having the incorrect boarding pass