Is Travel Really Cheaper on Friday the 13th? TravelPirates Gives us the Inside Scoop!

By: Alanna Smith, Deal Hunter for TravelPirates

Whether it’s superstition or coincidence, there are travelers who insist that prices for flights are less when they fall on Friday the 13th. Travel giant KAYAK even conducted a study in January 2017 with very curious findings—claiming that flights on the apparently unlucky day could cost anywhere from 10% to 40% lower than the average price for the month.

The Dead Sea Photo by: Heather Newgen

2018 will see two Fridays falling on the 13th of the month, with the first being in April. However, if you’re hoping to score some excellent flight deals for those special Fridays, we have can only say good luck.

TravelPirates examined one-way flights out of New York and Los Angeles to 25 of our most popular destinations for April 2018, and could not find any evidence suggesting that prices on Friday the 13th were lower on average than on any other day of the month. In fact, prices tended to be higher than they were for other weekdays, since Friday is one of the most popular days to fly.

Echo Park Lake Los Angeles, CA Photo by: Heather Newgen

So what’s the reason for the discrepancy between myth and reality? KAYAK’s study examined mostly flights departing Europe. It’s possible that comparatively, the United States does not harbor as many deep-rooted superstitions about Friday the 13th—and the number thirteen in general—that would cause travelers to avoid flying on the inauspicious day.

Colosseum Rome, Italy Photo by: Heather Newgen

If you’re still looking for cheap airfares, consider instead flying on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Not only are prices often lower compared to the rest of the week because of lower demand—fewer travelers look to travel midweek, after all—but many airline sales will offer special rates for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Flights can also be cheap on Saturdays, because most weekenders book their departure flights for Friday.