Many Germans find flying stressful. This is shown by a current survey by Expedia among 1000 German air travelers. A total of 86 percent of travelers see a certain potential for stress when flying, with 37 percent even finding it quite or very stressful.
The survey shows that for 35 percent of the air travelers surveyed, stress does not begin on the day of travel, but rather when looking for a flight offer.
It’s less stressful to fly on Sunday – cheaper on Friday
To minimize this stress, it is currently recommended to book on Sundays. On international flights you can even save an average of 20 percent if you book on Sundays instead of Fridays. Sundays are unpopular, there is less going on at check-in and at security. This reduces the stress factor. This is one finding from the new Air Travel Hacks Report in collaboration with Expedia, the Airlines Reporting Corporation and OAG.
Friday, on the other hand, is considered the best day for departure. You can currently save an average of 17 percent on international flights if you choose this day of the week. At the same time, Friday is unpopular for long-haul flights. Because few people take vacation from their employer from Friday. Mondays are more popular, but that is rather bad.
Avoid Monday as your departure day
You should generally avoid Monday as the day of departure. Flights that start at the beginning of the week usually last until Sunday or fall on weekends and public holidays. As a result, they tend to be more expensive. At the same time, they are in greater demand. This creates a higher stress factor and higher prices at the airport.
Because prices for international flights are less volatile compared to last year, you have the best chance of saving four months in advance. On average, this saving is currently around three percent. Price monitoring functions in travel apps or on booking platforms can be helpful in keeping an eye on current prices.
That’s why it’s worth flying early in the morning
Canceled and delayed flights are the number one stress factor when traveling by air for 57 percent of those surveyed. Purely statistically, flights that take off between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. are the least likely to be affected by cancellations. Departures between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., on the other hand, have a 39 percent higher chance of being canceled.
The choice of travel month also makes a difference in terms of cancellations or delays: July has had the longest average flight delays (62 minutes) so far this year. In January, April and May, however, the average was only 38 minutes.
What you need to pay attention to on the day of departure
Don’t forget your passport! According to the survey, 65 percent of German air travelers are afraid of forgetting their passport at home. In order to keep track of things and not forget anything, it is advisable to check the validity of your passport early on and to find important documents a few days before the start of your trip and have them ready in a prominent place.
Arrive on time! Getting to the airport causes stress for almost half of air travelers (49 percent). In order to avoid dangerous situations, you should definitely allow a little more time for possible traffic jams or delays.
Avoid crowds! At the airport itself, long lines and crowds cause stress for 44 percent of air travelers. To avoid the crowds, we recommend flying at less popular travel times. February is the quietest month according to Expedia data, and Tuesday is the quietest day of the week in terms of flight demand.
At some airports, travelers can also book a time slot for security checks in advance.