This is the best time to travel to avoid flight cancellations

Expedia has revealed the best time to travel to avoid flight cancellations in its 2025 Air Hacks report.

Nothing takes the shine off your holiday faster than a cancelled flight. Feelings of excitement and anticipation quickly evaporate when faced with the task of rearranging your plans last minute to cater to a new departure date or time.

But global travel company Expedia , in collaboration with Airlines Reporting Corporation and the OAG , has stepped in to help. In its recently released 2025 Air Hacks report, which covers a multitude of air travel hacks, it revealed the best times and days to travel to avoid cancellations altogether.

Airport display board showing cancelled flights — Expedia reveals your best bet at avoiding flight cancellations. (Image: Anya Berkut)

So, when should you travel to avoid flight cancellations?

The numbers are in and flight cancellations are at their lowest in February and March, with an average of just 2.5 per cent of flights cancelled. In comparison to January, which sees cancellation rates of 9.4 per cent, these two months are extremely reliable for air travel.

What’s more, the data indicates that flights departing in the late evening, specifically between 9 pm and 3 am, are the least likely to be cancelled. Flights booked between 3 pm and 9 pm have a 43 per cent higher chance of being called off compared to those leaving later in the night.

Stock image of traveller at an airport — February and March are the best months to book.

If you’re also concerned about costs, it’s good to factor in the time of year you’re looking at travelling. January is the cheapest month for economy class; if you’re looking for premium tickets, opt for October. Surprisingly, Saturday has been revealed as the cheapest day of the week to fly, with travellers saving up to 27 per cent compared to Monday departures.

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What other hacks did the report reveal?

When it comes to pain points for airline travellers, cancelled flights aren’t the only problem to solve. Thankfully the data reveals several hacks to save you time and money and help you avoid other airport stresses while also hinting at hot travel destinations to consider visiting in 2025 before they peak in popularity.

Stock image of a plane window — Expedia’s report also hints at 2025’s hottest travel trends.

How to save money

Can the day you book make a difference to the cost? The findings say yes! Booking airfares on a Sunday can save you up to 20 per cent. Depart on a Thursday and you could be looking at up to 8 per cent in savings. That money could be better spent in destination.

Booking domestic flights at least six months in advance will save you up to 36 per cent. Securing your ticket two months in advance for an international flight can save you up to 12 per cent. In fact, the further in advance you book, the more expensive it can be. A three-month pre-departure window is ideal for securing the best price for overseas travel.

Stock image of a plane on the runway — Use the three-month pre-departure window when booking international flights.

Expedia also recommends price tracking on its app, which analyses data to show users the best time to book and notifies you when flight prices change. Bundling is another way to save – booking holiday packages (which often include flights, accommodation, car rentals and/or activities) can save you hundreds.

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How to save time

Whether you’re going it solo, jetting off with friends or travelling with family, airports can be stress-inducing places. And while there’s not much you can do about customs lines and security checks, Expedia recommends travelling on a Sunday when airports are generally at their least busy. It will save you time as you won’t have crowds to contend with.

Stock images of a man and his child waiting at the airport — Sundays are when most airports are at their quietest.

Trends to look out for

The report names Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra as the hottest places to travel domestically this year. Combine Sydney’s incredible beaches with Adelaide’s foodie scene and Canberra’s never-ending list of things to do and you’ve got the ultimate Aussie itinerary.

When it comes to international destinations, Bali in Indonesia, Thailand’s capital of Bangkok and Los Angeles, USA, are the most popular places among Aussie jet setters. And thanks to new direct flight routes, Expedia predicts Istanbul (non-stop from Sydney with Turkish Airlines ) and Fiji (non-stop from Cairns with Fiji Airways ) will increase in popularity in the year ahead.

Coogee Beach in Sydney, NSW — Sydney is known for its beautiful beaches. (Image: Destination NSW)

The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

From the moment you arrive in Mildura , the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura. — Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

Taste Mildura’s produce

It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey . Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed ’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers , a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

Hatted dining & Italian history

Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s . Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel. — Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

Discover a thriving culture scene

The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project . Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery. — Find culture around every corner.

Wonder at ancient landscapes

The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park . Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity. — Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

Meet your home away from home

On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama . A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats . Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura. — Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com .

The data is in. Here’s when to travel to avoid flight cancellations

Expedia has revealed the best time to travel to avoid flight cancellations in its 2025 Air Hacks report.

So, when should you travel to avoid flight cancellations?