Many Germans find flying stressful. This is shown by a current survey by Expedia among 1,000 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. To minimize this stress, it is currently recommended to book on Sundays: you can save an average of 20 percent on international flights if you book on Sundays instead of Fridays. 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. Monday, however, should be avoided as the day of departure.
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 booking platforms can be helpful in keeping an eye on current prices.
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.
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.
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.
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.
