+
upworthy
Joy

Travel is changing. Experts say this is the new cheapest day to buy plane tickets.

The last few years have been turbulent. Here's how to get the best deal.

flight deals, cheap flights air travel

Passengers getting ready to take off.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the airline industry has been unpredictable, to say the least. From the glut of canceled flights over the past year to changing travel restrictions, travelers haven’t felt too confident flying the friendly skies.

Amidst the turbulence, there are some changes that travelers should consider when booking their flights. Experidia’s “2024 Air Hacks Report” shows that travelers should reconsider how far out in advance they buy their tickets, on which days to make the purchase and the days they travel.

Airline prices rose 22 percent from March 2022 to March 2023, so travelers have to be savvy to get the best deal. The good news is that Expedia says that ticket prices should be cheaper in 2024, although only by around 3 percent.


Cheapest day to fly

According to the report, the cheapest day to depart on your flight has changed recently. It used to be that the cheapest day to get a flight would be Tuesday or Wednesday, in the middle of the week. This is because it’s hard for many folks to get away mid-week because of work considerations. Also, companies that send their employees on trips often do so on weekends these days.

So these days, the cheapest day to fly out has been moved up to Thursday, which isn’t too bad for people looking for a weekend getaway. However, you won’t want to return on Sunday, because that is the most expensive day to fly. Travelers who book their flights on a Thursday save around 16 percent over booking on Sunday.

If you’re looking to take a quick trip to Vegas, it might be best to do a Thursday to Monday trip.

Cheapest day to buy your plane tickets

Sunday may be the most expensive day to depart on your dream vacation, but when buying your plane tickets, it is the least expensive day. The most expensive day to book a flight is on Friday. Travelers who book on a Sunday instead of a Friday can save around 8 percent on their flights.

When to book a flight for the best deal

According to Expedia, the best time to book a domestic flight is 28 days before departure. Travelers who booked 28 days before departure saved 24 percent on average compared to those who waited until the last minute.

The best time to book an international flight is farther out. Expedia says the best time to book international travel is 60 days before departure and no earlier than four months out. Travelers who booked 60 days out saved around 10 percent compared to those who booked further out, as average ticket prices peaked around four months from departure.

If you’re looking to book a big international vacation in 2024, Europe and North America are still hotspots. A recent poll published in The New York Post found that the top 5 places that people want to travel to are Mexico, Canada, and France, which are all tied for first place at 42 percent, followed by Spain (40%), Italy (32%) and Greece (21%).

According to Expedia, the most popular tourist destinations in the United States are New York, New York, Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

True

After over a thousand years of peaceful relations, European semi-superpowers Sweden and Switzerland may finally address a lingering issue between the two nations. But the problem isn’t either country’s fault. The point is that the rest of the world can’t tell them apart. They simply don’t know their kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumpling) from their birchermüesli (a Swiss breakfast dish).

This confusion on the European continent has played out in countless ways.

Swedish people who move to the United States often complain of being introduced as Swiss. The New York Stock Exchange has fallen victim to the confusion, and a French hockey team once greeted their Swiss opponents, SC Bern, by playing the Swedish National Anthem and raising the Swedish flag.

Skämtar du med mig? (“Are you kidding me?” in Swedish)

Keep ReadingShow less
More

Ever wonder why people 100 years ago died so much younger? It's these 14 reasons.

1796. That's when we invented vaccines. An English doctor named Edward Jenner took incredible risks to try to rid his world of smallpox. Because of his efforts and the efforts of scientists like him, the only thing between deadly diseases like the ones below and extinction are people who refuse to vaccinate their kids. Don't be that parent.

FACT CHECK TIME! This article originally appeared on 11.21.14 and this infographic is based on data from 2012.

Unfortunately, because of the misinformation from the anti-vaccination movement, some of these diseases have trended up in a really bad way over the past several years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

SNL sketch about George Washington's dream for America hailed an 'instant classic'

"People will be referencing it as one of the all time best SNL skits for years.”

Saturday Night Live/Youtube

Seriously, what were our forefathers thinking with our measuring system?

Ever stop to think how bizarre it is that the United States is one of the only countries to not use the metric system? Or how it uses the word “football” to describe a sport that, unlike fútbol, barely uses the feet at all?

What must our forefathers have been thinking as they were creating this brave new world?

Wonder no further. All this and more is explored in a recent Saturday Night Live sketch that folks are hailing as an “instant classic.”
Keep ReadingShow less
Identity

75-year-old ‘hip-hop granny’ impresses and inspires with her dance moves

Ms. Stephanie didn’t even start formal dance lessons until she was almost 30.

Ms. Stephanie bringing it at her hip-hop class.

Stephanie Walsh isn't your average hip-hop dancer. At 75, "Ms. Stephanie" is still able to hold her own on the dance floor, popping and locking with people a third her age, and she loves it.

When you see her dance—and her enviable muscle tone—you might think she'd been a trained dancer all her life. But she actually didn't take any formal dance lessons until she was almost 30.

Walsh told Growing Bolder that she had wanted her daughter to dance when she was little, so she got her ballet lessons, which the daughter hated. Realizing that dancing was her dream and not her daughter's, Walsh took her kiddo out of ballet and started classes herself right away.

She had always loved to dance and developing her skills only led to more and more dancing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Woman's mom makes surprise visit to baby shower but she hilariously keeps overlooking her

She was so busy hugging friends that she didn't notice her mom was standing right there.

Woman doesn't recognize her own mom at baby shower

Sometimes we get caught up in the moment and overlook details that are right in front of our faces. It's usually little things, like forgetting a bag or not remembering what your spouse was wearing. But sometimes, we overlook some pretty significant things and it's something that can really only be explained by excitement.

A moment like that was caught on video and shared with LADbible on social media.

One woman having a baby shower was doing her duties greeting guests who arrived, particularly excited about a pair of friends that showed up. Hugs, smiles and greetings flowed while one person stood awkwardly to the side hoping the pregnant woman would stop to notice her. The woman sort of smiled as she watched the mom-to-be gush over her friends as she hugged their necks. It didn't take long before the pregnant woman looked in the direction of the person waiting to be greeted.

But it didn't register who was waiting patiently for a hug, until again, she looked in the direction of the woman waiting. Nope. Still didn't click.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Mom wants to know when Halloween became 'an adult pub crawl'?

"Have parents always done this, and they're just being more public about it now?”

Celeste Yvonne had a recent Halloween realization.

Celeste Yvonne, a certified recovery coach and a founding host of the Sober Mom Squad, had a Halloween realization and wanted to know if she was the only person who felt the same.

“This morning, I'm listening to parents at the school drop-off area talk about how they will be bringing a keg onto their golf carts when they do the trick-or-treating rounds with their kids this year,” Yvonne says in a viral TikTok video.

“I'm not shaming them, but my question is: when did trick-or-treating become a beer crawl or pub crawl for adults?” she asked. “This is a newer phenomenon, isn't it? Or have parents always done this, and they're just being more public about it now?”

Keep ReadingShow less
SpecsaversOfficial/Youtube

"Then I'm gonna give you up…then I'm gonna let you down.."

Rick Astley fans, rejoice. The singer has just released a new recording of his biggest hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” on Oct 24.

Only this version might be…a little different than what you’re used to hearing. Unless of course you’ve been hearing it wrong this entire time.

That’s because this version incorporates all the commonly misheard lyrics associated with the 80s bop. Cause why not?



In the new version of the track, you might notice “we’re no strangers to love” being replaced by “we’re no strangers to lunch,” as well as Astley, for some reason, singing “your aunt’s naked” and belting about running around with dessert spoons.

Listen:

That’s right, “don’t tell me not to plant a seed,” indeed! Free gardening for all!

Of course, this is more than just a fun cover. Astley partnered up with Specsavers to raise awareness of hearing loss—something the 80s icon struggles with himself and currently wears hearing aids to help with the condition.

In an interview with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on “This Morning,” Astley shared that he first started noticing issues while performing live shows again.

“I went to have my ears checked. I have noticed over the last few years, and we have in-ears when we play live and I’ve been turning them down over the past few years because I’ve noticed that it’s been too loud when I come off stage. I can hear it ringing,” he said.

Specsavers conducted a survey on 2,000 adults, and found that a little over 16% blamed their hearing for getting lyrics wrong. Meanwhile 28% admitted having difficulty hearing the TV or radio properly. And a whooping 51% find conversations with background noise difficult. (Daily Mail)

And yet, over half of the participants had never had their hearing tested. The reasoning for this could be twofold.

One, people might assume that only those like Astley, who’ve spent a majority of their life surrounded by loud noise, could be susceptible to hearing loss (in actuality, about one-third of older adults have hearing loss, and the chance of developing hearing loss increases with age). So they might not think that a misheard lyric here or there could be a sign of a larger issue.

And two, some people might not want to admit that they are having hearing loss, embarrassed at the notion of having to wear hearing aids and being perceived as old or disabled.

And that’s why Specsavers sought the help of a pop icon in their campaign—to break any stigma surrounding hearing aids and inspire others to get their hearing tested.

“I’d encourage anyone to get their hearing tested if they notice any changes,” says Astley, “so they don’t lose the sounds or music they love.”