Finding cheap flights is one of the key tasks when organizing our vacations and getaways.
Almost everyone likes to travel spending as little as possible, so find cheap flights it becomes an essential task. But that your flying experience is good does not only depend on that.
Forget about taking out liquids and the laptop at the control of Spanish airports from 2024
Layovers that are too short, terminals that are overcrowded, or security lines that are endless are other factors that you should take into account.
With this in mind, industry experts have revealed to Travel Awaits one of those other points you should pay attention to: what are the best and worst times to fly.
Best times to fly
No matter how much advice you can read, the reality is that the best time of day to travel is the one that best suits you that day (besides flying non-stop and with a carry-on bag), but if you want to know which are the best moments, these are some of them:
In the morning
According to pilot Christy Karsten, those who get up early are the most likely to reach their final destination with fewer delays and interruptions.
Of course, punctuality is never guaranteed if the weather does its thing and the first hours of the morning can be critical in this regard.
Despite this, and in order for the day to be as efficient as possible and thus avoid a domino effect with the following flights, the terminal staff strives to ensure that the first flights of the day be as punctual as possible or even leave early if everything is ready.
This domino effect will have consequences throughout the journey and may cause other passengers to arrive a little late and miss a connection for having booked too short a layover –Karsten recommends that these be at least one hour–.
Just before lunch time
if you’re not a early bird or can’t catch the early morning flight, the expert points out that another good time to fly it’s just before lunchtime because the flight is probably coming from a major airport, he says.
The reason is that in large airports there are always more options in the event of a departure mishap, such as alternative aircraft or crew. Therefore, your midday flight may not be affected.
spring and late fall
Flight attendant Nancy Lee indicates that both spring and late autumn are good times to travel if what you want is to avoid the crowds and get the best prices.
People wait until summer or Christmas holidays to go on family vacations, so it’s not the best time if you’re looking for a relaxing experience at a good price – plus it’s harder to make last-minute bookings during those months-.
However, there is a small disadvantage: airlines tend to reduce their frequencies at these times, so you may have fewer flight options.
The worst times to fly
Starting a vacation with frustrated flight plans is not a tasteful dish for anyone. Thus, it is recommended that you avoid flying at these times:
late afternoon in summer
Again, the weather could become your worst enemy if you are looking to start your vacation in the late summer afternoon.
During the hottest months they occur in many places thunderstorms wreaking havoc on airline operations. As Karsten explains, these storms can cause long delays, limit airport arrivals and departures, and even close the ramp due to lightning.
According to her, the snowball effect of this type of irregular operations can be very frustrating for both passengers and crews.
Christmas and New Year
It is not necessary to explain why flying in the busiest weeks of the year does not ensure an ideal flight experience.
The masses of people, the stress and the constant hustle and bustle on the eve and the day of the holidays make this time one of the most problematic to fly.
The ideal is to fly a little earlier or stay at the destination for a few more days, but it is logical that this is not possible in all cases.
August
August is the extended version of Christmas and New Years. It is the busiest month of the year and the one to be avoided at all costs if you are not a friend of stress.
The terminals are packed in August because everyone is on vacation, not to mention how tourist destinations are during this time of year, especially in Europe.
