EXPEDIA 2026 AIR HACKS: THURSDAY TAKES OFF AS THE CHEAPEST DAY TO DEPART FOR CANADIANS

Expedia launches Flight Deals helping travelers identify flights that are at least 20% lower on average

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Expedia^® released its 2026 Air Hacks Report, revealing a major shift in traveler 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 shows 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 tenth year, the Expedia Air Hacks Report draws on millions of Expedia data points and new consumer research to highlight how changing traveler behaviors, from micro-cations to carry‑on‑only packing, are reshaping when Canadians choose to take to the skies.

“Business travelers head home earlier in the week these days, so new opportunities are opening up for leisure travelers to save by choosing smarter travel days, like Thursday for the best prices or Tuesday for fewer crowds,” said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations. “With Expedia’s Flight Deals now available in Canada, travelers can find quality flights that are at least 20% cheaper than the norm.”

Key Air Hacks for 2026 include:

• 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 travelers roughly 160 CAD 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 November 25, December 10, April 8 and June 10
  • The busiest travel dates include August 1 and 15, June 27 and October 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 travelers 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 CAD less than bookings made more than six months out.
  • International travelers can save 190 CAD 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 CAD compared to booking six months out.
• Your departure airport can make or break the price:
  • Abbotsford, BC, Kitchener, ON and Hamilton, ON are the most affordable Canadian departure airports.
  • Montreal YUL, Quebec YQB and Ottawa YOW are the most expensive airports to fly from.
• Saver routes unlock short‑haul and international value:
  • International saver routes under 400 CAD 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 travelers now fly carry‑on only with 29% confessing they would wear extra layers to dodge baggage.
  • Top oddities seen by travelers 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 travelers said that having their seat kicked is the ultimate pet peeve, above seats reclining too far and crying babies.
  • Over a third of travelers (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 travelers now fly carry‑on only, with 29% confessing they would wear extra layers to dodge baggage fees
• Map the best Flight Deals and then bank more savings with Expedia’s Annual Vacation Sale.
  • Use Expedia’s NEW Flight Deals* tool on the app to find quality flights from your chosen airport that are at least 20% lower than typically predicted prices for that route. The tool features a new interactive map to compare destinations, custom deal alerts and allows travelers to filter by destination and travel date.
  • Thinking about your big spring or summer trip? Members save up to 40% off select stays during Expedia’s Annual Vacation Sale. Book by March 16, 2026, for stays between February 10 and September 30, 2026.

Check our Expedia’s latest Air Hacks HERE.

APPENDIX

EXPEDIA 2026 AIR 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 CAD 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 CAD 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 CAD 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 CAD 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

Top 10 trending destinations Canadian’s fly to:

Domestic: Victoria +65% Hamilton +45% Whistler +25% Newfoundland +20% St John’s +20% Kitchener +15% Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine +15% Tofino +15% Thunder Bay +10% Kelowna +10%

International: Atlantic City, USA +390% Naxos, Greece +260% Guatemala +215% Nha Trang, Vietnam +195% Phu Quoc, Vietnam +160% Nayarit, Mexico +145% Chiang Rai, Thailand +140% Villahermosa, Mexico +130% Jamaica +60% San Juan, Puerto Rico +60%

Extreme Daytrips: Top international destinations Canadian’s fly to for just 24 hours:

1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Washington

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 August 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:

1. Thunder Bay ON YQT +37%
2. Kelowna YLW +13%
3. St John’s YYT +11%

The most affordable Canadian airports to fly out of are Abbotsford, BC (257 CAD), Kitchener, ON (341 CAD) and Hamilton, ON (478 CAD)

The most expensive Canadian airports to fly out of are Montreal YUL (884 CAD), Quebec YQB (850 CAD) and Ottawa YOW (783 CAD)

Saver Routes: International flight routes for under 400 CAD

1. Kitchener to Fort Lauderdale - 305 CAD
2. Saskatoon to Minneapolis - 355 CAD
3. St John’s to Tampa - 368 CAD
4. London, On to Orlando - 376 CAD
5. Comox to Orange County - 389 CAD

Saver routes: International flight routes seeing the biggest YoY decease in price (25%+ savings):

1. Winnipeg to Raleigh: -41%
2. Halifax to Amsterdam: -38%
3. St John’s to Dublin: -36%
4. Kelowna to Tampa: -34%
5. Vancouver to Shanghai: -30%

Data disclaimers:

All average ticket pricing data and 24-hour destinations are based on bookings made on Expedia.ca from December 2024 – November 2025, with any comparison metrics compared to December 2023 – November 2024

Most popular and trending destinations based on searches made on Expedia.ca from December 2024 – November 2025, compared to searches made December 2023 – November 2024

Third-party research was conducted by market research partner OnePoll in accordance with the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct. The Study was conducted online among 7,000 adult respondents across seven countries, who are planning domestic or international travel in the next 12 months.

Expedia’s Annual Vacation Sale is subject to limited availability. Blackout periods may apply.

About Expedia

Expedia^® is an all-in-one travel shop where travelers can plan and book everything they need for their trip while saving on flights, hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, and activities.

Expedia delivers personalized, easy‑to‑use travel tools that make it easy to build a complete trip without juggling multiple sites, while allowing travelers to search, compare, and book multiple trip elements side by side. Expedia also unlocks more value with Bundle & Save deals, giving travelers amazing savings when they book more than one part of their trip. With One Key, Expedia’s cross‑brand loyalty program, every eligible booking earns OneKeyCash™, while also giving travelers access to member‑only prices and perks, making trips even more rewarding.

In 2026, Expedia marks its 30th anniversary. As the first online travel agency, it continues to be the one place you go to go places.

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