Choosing the cheapest days to fly can help travelers save a significant amount of money on airfare. For those looking to fly Delta, being flexible with travel dates and understanding when prices are typically lower can lead to big savings. Keep reading to learn more about finding the cheapest days and times to fly Delta.
When are flight prices typically the cheapest on Delta?
In general, airfare on Delta and other major airlines tends to be cheapest when flying on certain days of the week and times of year when travel demand is lower. This allows airlines to offer discounts to help fill seats.
The cheapest days to fly Delta are usually:
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays
- Days that are not near major holidays
- The first week of September after summer travel season ends
- January through March excluding around spring break
Flying early in the morning or late at night also often results in lower fares, as these are less popular flight times.
Why are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays cheaper?
For business travelers, the most popular days to fly are Monday mornings and Friday evenings. Airlines know this and hike up prices for flights on these high-demand days. The reverse is true for weekend leisure travelers – airlines lower prices to fill seats on Sundays when fewer people want to fly.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays fall in between these high and low demand periods. Because traveler volume is more moderate, airlines discount prices to boost bookings on these days.
Sample round trip airfares on Delta by day of week
| Route | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta to Los Angeles | $328 | $308 | $298 | $318 | $348 | $288 | $358 |
| New York to Miami | $248 | $228 | $218 | $238 | $268 | $198 | $278 |
As the sample data shows, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays consistently offer cheaper average fares vs. Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays on popular Delta routes.
Avoid flying near holidays
Airfare prices also rise significantly for flights taking place close to major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. This is because demand spikes as people travel to visit family or take vacations around these dates. When possible, fly the week before or after the official holiday dates to save.
Here are the upcoming peak holiday travel periods to avoid if booking Delta flights on a budget:
- November 18 – 27, 2022 (Thanksgiving)
- December 15, 2022 – January 3, 2023 (Christmas and New Year’s)
- March 31 – April 9, 2023 (Easter and spring break)
- May 25 – 29, 2023 (Memorial Day weekend)
- June 28 – July 10, 2023 (Independence Day and surrounding days)
- November 17 – 26, 2023 (Thanksgiving)
- December 14, 2023 – January 2, 2024 (Christmas and New Year’s)
If your travel dates are flexible, avoiding these high-demand holiday periods can result in much lower airfare.
Fly in September or January – March
Late August through the first couple weeks of September offer some of the cheapest last-minute summer airfare as demand drops off after Labor Day weekend. Prices also remain low through mid-December, excluding the Thanksgiving and Christmas travel rush.
January through March is also a great time for deals excluding spring break weeks. With winter weather many places, fewer people book flights during this slower season. Delta typically offers lower fares to generate bookings when demand is down.
Book at least 3 weeks in advance for the lowest fares
While flash sales sometimes offer last minute deals, the very cheapest Delta fares are usually found at least 21 days before departure. This allows you to take advantage of lower advance purchase discounts. Delta’s best discounts are often offered 6-8 weeks prior to departure, around the 50 day advance purchase requirement many specials have.
Aim to book as early as possible once your travel dates are confirmed. Sign up for fare alerts on Google Flights or use the Hopper app to monitor for price drops and grab the lowest fare.
Be flexible and fly budget carriers when possible
Having flexible travel dates opens up more possibilities to fly on traditionally lower cost days and during shoulder seasons. If you can fly within a range of dates instead of just one, search airfare across a whole month to compare.
Also look into flying budget carriers like Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant which offer cheap base fares and charge separately for add-ons. Their cheapest prices may beat even discounted Delta fares, though Delta offers more amenities included.
Use miles from Delta’s frequent flyer program
SkyMiles, Delta’s frequent flyer program, allows members to book award flights by redeeming miles. Taxes and fees still apply, but can be as low as $5 one-way for domestic flights. Booking with miles is one of the best ways to get extremely cheap Delta flights.
Join SkyMiles (it’s free!) and earn miles by flying Delta, using affiliated credit cards, shopping through SkyMiles partners, and more. Then search award availability on the dates you want to fly. Off-peak dates require fewer miles to book awards.
Conclusion
Finding cheap airfare on Delta comes down to flexibility. Fly on off-peak days like Tuesdays through Saturdays, avoid major holidays and peak summer travel times, book at least three weeks in advance, and leverage miles to cover flights for the biggest savings. Monitoring airfare trends and prices will help you determine the cheapest timeframes to plan your next Delta trip.
