Which Days Are the Slowest for Airlines?

General Slow Days

In general, the slowest days for air travel are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. According to the website FareCompare, most major U.S. airlines reduce the total number of seats flown on Saturdays to compensate for the lesser demand. Some also reduce the seats flown on Tuesdays. This leaves Wednesday -- which is already a slow day but on which the airlines do not dramatically reduce the number of seats -- as the least expensive day to fly in general. With fewer passengers but about the same number of seats as other days, you may have a better chance of snagging your own row of seats.

The reason Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the slowest days relates to business travel. Candy Harrington of "Emerging Horizons" magazine explains this trend: "The Monday and Friday flights are more expensive as many business travelers depart on Monday morning and return Friday afternoon." Most adult travelers born in 1965 and later take more business trips than leisure trips. Someone from Generation Y, for example, takes an average of 6.9 business trips per year but only 3.5 leisure trips, according to the U.S. Travel Association. This means that the popularity of a particular day for business travel greatly impacts how busy that day is for travel in general.

The slowest days don't always mean cheapest flights, although the two commonly coincide. If you are booking a flight online, and do not need to travel on a particular day, use the "flexible dates" or similar option. This shows you the fares for days near your intended travel days, some of which may be lower than the specific dates you selected. If you are booking a flight over the phone, ask the person assisting you about the rates on nearby dates.

While the general rule states that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the slowest for airlines, some exceptions exist. If you are flying on or near a major holiday, a long weekend or similar times, those events may impact this general rule. For example, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a notoriously busy day for travel. In fact, according to the Research and Innovative Technology Administration Bureau of Transportation Statistics, long-distance trips increase by a whopping 54 percent during the six days surrounding Thanksgiving.

You can typically check to see how full your plane will be. Keep in mind, however, that this is not always representative of the overall crowds in the airport in general. When you view your reservation online, you will likely see a place that offers to let you select or change your seats. Click that option to view the available seats and find out how full your plane is. This is typically not completely accurate, as some passengers are not assigned seats until they check in at the airport. It can, however, give you a sense of whether your plane is very full or nearly empty.