The best day of the week to fly to avoid ‘unnecessary stress’ this summer

With the summer holidays a matter of weeks away, millions of Britons will be gearing up for seasonal travel – but with that comes packed flights and busy airline terminals. However, experts have discovered the best day of the week to travel and lessen your chances of “frustration and unnecessary stress”.

You’ve probably seen HappyOrNot at the airport before, they are the creators of the ‘smiley face’ customer feedback terminals found in airports and retail spaces across the world.

They have analysed over 10 million customer feedback data points from airports in over 30 countries worldwide to reveal not only the best day of the week to jet off and beat the crowds – but also the best time of day to fly, too.

Miika Mäkitalo, CEO of HappyOrNot, said: “With summer around the corner, many of us are looking forward to some time away, but not many of us look forward to the journey, which can be filled with frustration and unnecessary stress.”

Based on feedback collected from the first quarter of 2024, the experts found that the best day of the week to fly is Wednesday, while the worst day is Sunday. In fact, more than 83 percent of the feedback given at terminals on Wednesdays was positive.

By comparison, the least positive feedback from passengers was received on Sundays.

And if you want to know the absolute best time of the day to book your flight, the expert data shows that 7am is the “happiest time” to fly.

Around 84 percent of the feedback given at this time was positive. It was followed closely by 8am.

Using data from our feedback buttons in airports, we’ve examined the customer experience of travellers to help identify the times when airport workers might need to pay special attention to certain areas and potential problems to improve the experience for passengers and employees alike.

Miika explained: “We’ve seen over the years that late at night is consistently the least happy time to fly, and this year it’s no different, with midnight being the unhappiest hour in terms of customer feedback.

However, this year the happiest time to fly is 7am, shifting a few hours later than last year’s happiest time – 4am.

“As 7am is not too early, travellers aren’t regretting the loss of a good night’s sleep, but it’s early enough to be optimistic about arriving at your destination in good time. Earlier in the morning coincides with the time that airport facilities are likely to be at their most pristine and tidy, and staff are energised at the beginning of their shifts.”