The Best Day And Time To Fly For A Stress-Free Trip With Fewer Delays And A Mostly Uncrowded Airport

Ever found yourself stuck in a nightmarishly long check-in line after jostling your way through throngs of crowds at the airport, wondering "Where did I go wrong?" The answer lies not in luck, but in timing. As it turns out, choosing the best day and time to fly are factors that can greatly contribute to a trip that's free of stress, airline delays, and overcrowded airport terminals, leaving you with enough time to discover airport amenities you shouldn't skip or do some pre-flight shopping. A study by travel booking site Expedia and Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) revealed that you're most likely to have a zen-like airport experience if you travel on a Tuesday, when airports reportedly get the least amount of crowds. 

If you can't fly on a Tuesday, try booking your flight on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday instead. Try to avoid Mondays and Fridays, which tend to be busier as business travelers flock to the airport at the start of the work week and fly back home in time for the weekend. Meanwhile, Sundays often accommodate the return of weekend travelers and the departure of business travelers intent on beating the Monday crowds, contributing to heavier foot traffic at the airport, despite being the tail end of the week. Former flight attendant u/Libby-Mae wrote on Reddit, "I generally found that Tuesday mid-morning (10 am-ish) was the least busy day/time to fly. ... And midweek flights are less busy than weekends."

Now that you've locked in your potential stress-free travel day, it's time to focus on the best time of the day to board that flight. Catching the earliest flight of the day pretty much guarantees fewer crowds and less stress at the airport, since an early flight means a head start on the day, especially if you factor in how early you need to arrive at the airport for the usual pre-departure rituals. Leaving one's home or hotel at 4 a.m to catch an 8 a.m. flight may not be enticing to many travelers (especially if you are relying on public transportation at the crack of dawn), leading to fewer passengers at the airport during the first flights out. Additionally, early-morning flights are less likely to be delayed than those scheduled later in the day.

A 2017 survey on air travelers' happiness by customer feedback company HappyOrNot showed that early flights alleviated the stress levels of passengers: 85.7% of passengers revealed being at their happiest at 9 a.m. and 85.5% at 8 a.m. "These quieter hours often mean cleaner terminals, fresh staff, and shorter lines," HappyOrNot CEO Miika Mäkitalo told USA Today. Redditor u/BiggieBoiTroy pointed out the extra perks you get from an early start: "If you're delayed/cancelled, then you still have the whole rest of the day to possibly still get home/to your destination. Plus, if you're going on vacation, then you get more hours at said location by flying in early." Alternatively, departures between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., better known as the dreaded red-eye flights, can offer a less-crowded airport setting — and maybe even access to a secret lounge that certain airports have for red-eye passengers.