The year 2022 marked a difficult time for air travel as passengers grappled with mass cancellations, increased prices, lost luggage, endless lines and general chaos.Although things seem to have calmed down thus far in 2023, air travelers are carrying new wisdom into the new year and looking to be more strategic as they book flights. One way to cut down on the likelihood of a negative flight experience is to take a mindful approach to the dates and times of day you fly. AdvertisementWe asked travel experts to share which time of day they think is the best for passengers in terms of cost, convenience, comfort and cancellations. As it turns out, they had a similar answer for all four.The best time of day to fly to reduce delays and cancellations.“The best time of day to fly is almost always very early in the morning,” said Phil Dengler, co-founder of The Vacationer. “Early morning flights are much less likely to get delayed or canceled than those taking place later in the day. Even if your morning flight is canceled, your odds of experiencing a lengthy delay are minimal. In the event of a cancellation, there is still time to get you on a new flight that morning or sometime in the early afternoon.”Later flights typically rely on crew and aircraft from previous segments of the day, so they’re more susceptible to delays due to operational issues, as well as maintenance problems. When earlier flights are delayed, there tends to be a ripple effect across many locations and itineraries. “The delays add up as the day goes along and this means more missed connections or canceled flights later in the day,” said Mark Wolters, creator of the popular “Wolters World” travel channel on YouTube. “It may not be great having to get up super early in the morning to get to the airport, but the peace of mind that you have a better chance of catching your flight, making your connections, and getting to your destination when you are supposed to can help motivate you to set that early morning alarm.”AdvertisementOf course, morning flights aren’t 100% immune to delays and airline issues, but they tend to offer more options to passengers who might need to find alternative flights in the event of a large-scale outage or other event. “If you cannot handle a flight at 8 a.m. or earlier, you should at least attempt to book a flight departing by 11 a.m. or noon at the latest,” Dengler said. “Things snowball throughout the day, and those flying later are often out of luck if there is an airline meltdown.”Booking a morning flight can lead to even more peace of mind in the age of flight tracking. Airlines now have features that allow passengers to see where the plane for their upcoming flight is coming from and when it arrives at their departure airport. So if you have a 6 a.m. flight out of Houston, for instance, you can see that the plane arrived from Chicago around 11 p.m. the night before.Igor Alecsander via Getty ImagesExperts agree there’s really one best time to fly to maximize your travel experience and cut costs.The best time to fly to reduce costs.It turns out dragging yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn can save you money in addition to potential hassle. Advertisement“Early morning flights before 8 or 9 a.m. tend to be cheaper than those later in the day,” Dengler noted. “Demand i …
The Best Time Of Day To Fly Right Now
