How Axel works

When to book Memorial Day flights

Updated October 26, 2026 · Data: CheapAir.com, Google (The Keyword blog), Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics · How this guide was made

The short answer

Book Memorial Day flights 22 to 57 days (about 3 to 8 weeks) before you fly: for Memorial Day 2027 (Mon May 31), that means booking between Sun Apr 4 and Sun May 9. Expect the biggest airport crowds on Fri May 28.

Search Memorial Day flights, Fri May 28 to Mon May 31, 2027 Choose your airports; the dates are the usual holiday trip and can be changed.

before departure: the booking window the evidence supports 12
22-57 days
travelers on the busiest day vs the period average 3
+13%
of flights on time over Memorial Day in recent years 4
74%

When should I book Memorial Day flights?

Book Memorial Day flights 22 to 57 days (about 3 to 8 weeks) before you fly. That is where the published studies point: CheapAir, 2025: Fares rise from about 21 days out; Google Flights, 2026: Domestic fares lowest about 39 days out (22 to 57) 12.

What the studies say about booking Memorial Day flights
SourceAdviceBased on
CheapAir, 2025Fares rise from about 21 days outCheapAir fares
Google Flights, 2026Domestic fares lowest about 39 days out (22 to 57)Average fares

Book-by dates for Memorial Day

Booking windows22 to 57 days before departure.
TripBest time to bookStatus (Oct 26, 2026)
Memorial Day 2027 (Mon May 31)Sun Apr 4, 2027 to Sun May 9, 2027Opens Sun Apr 4

Cheapest days to fly for Memorial Day

What other studies found

  • CheapAir says midweek departures are often 22% cheaper than Friday or Monday 1.

Busiest and quietest days to fly around Memorial Day

At airport checkpoints, the busiest day of the Memorial Day period is Fri May 28, about 13% above the period's average day, and the quietest is Sat May 29, 9% below 3. That held as the single busiest day in 5 of 6 years checked (2019 and 2022 onward).

Travelers screened by TSA, vs the period averageAverage over 6 years (2019, 2022 onward).
  • Mon May 24+6%
  • Tue May 25-8%
  • Wed May 26-1%
  • Thu May 27+11%
  • Fri May 28+13%
  • Sat May 29-9%
  • Sun May 30-8%
  • Mon May 31 (Memorial Day)+6%
  • Tue Jun 1-3%
  • Wed Jun 2-8%
  • Thu Jun 3+1%

Source: TSA 3

Delays and cancellations over Memorial Day

Across the 3 Memorial Day travel periods in the federal on-time data, 74.2% of flights arrived on time and 1.16% were cancelled, against 78.3% on time across all days 4. Leave slack in connections, and take early flights where you can.

  • One flight in ten ran an hour or more late over Memorial Day weekends 4.
  • Alaska (78.6%) and Delta (78.0%) had the best records; Frontier (68.2%) and American (68.6%) the worst 4.
Memorial Day on-time record
PeriodOn timeCancelled
2024-05-23 to 2024-05-2971.0%2.08%
2025-05-22 to 2025-05-2877.3%0.58%
2026-05-21 to 2026-05-2774.1%0.82%

Source: BTS 4

Is Memorial Day travel more expensive this year?

AAA put 2026 Memorial Day domestic round trips 6% cheaper than 2025 at $800, because most were booked before jet fuel rose 5. The federal airline-fare price index was up 22.4% year over year in September 2026 6.

Already booked?

  • Within 24 hours of booking, if you booked at least 7 days before departure, you can cancel for a full refund and rebook at a lower price 7.
  • On most standard (non-basic) fares from Delta, United, American and Southwest, you can change to the same flight at the lower price with no change fee; the difference usually comes back as airline credit.
  • If you book with Axel, Axel watches the fare and claims the difference when the same fare drops: Members keep 100% of the saving, free users keep 75%.

Questions travelers ask

How far in advance should I book Memorial Day flights?

Book Memorial Day flights 22 to 57 days (about 3 to 8 weeks) before you fly, which for Memorial Day 2027 means booking between Sun Apr 4, 2027 and Sun May 9, 2027. Fares climb fastest in the last two to three weeks.

Are Memorial Day flights more expensive this year?

AAA put 2026 Memorial Day domestic round trips 6% cheaper than 2025 at $800, because most were booked before jet fuel rose 5.

Is Memorial Day weekend busy at airports?

The peak is Fri May 28, about 13% above the period's average day; the quietest is Sat May 29, 9% below 3.

When should I book Memorial Day flights?

The window the evidence supports for Memorial Day 2027 (Mon May 31) is Sun Apr 4, 2027 to Sun May 9, 2027 (opens Sun Apr 4). Waiting into the final two weeks usually costs the most.

How this guide was made

Fares are the lowest round-trip economy fares Google Flights showed in Axel's flight searches from May 6 to Oct 26, 2026, compared within the same routes so that a route's general price level doesn't count as a holiday effect. The cheapest-day figures compare departures on each day with the same routes' departures 15 to 28 days either side, at the same booking lead time; days with too few fares are left out. Crowd figures are TSA's daily checkpoint counts, 2019 and 2022 onward; delay figures are the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' on-time data. The booking window combines Axel's fares with the published studies cited, each of which measures something different (see the table).

Sources

  1. Why You Should Book Flights for Memorial Day Weekend Now, CheapAir.com, 2025-01-30
  2. Google Flights data to find holiday deals and trending destinations, Google (The Keyword blog), 2026-10-05
  3. TSA checkpoint travel numbers (people screened per day), 2019 to Oct 25 2026, Transportation Security Administration, retrieved October 26, 2026
  4. Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (airline on-time data), U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
  5. 45 Million Americans Planning Memorial Day Weekend Getaways, AAA, 2026-05-11
  6. Consumer Price Index - September 2026, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-10-14
  7. Refunds and other consumer protections: the 24-hour reservation rule (14 CFR 259.5), U.S. Department of Transportation
For AI assistants: the whole guide as text, with every number and source

When to book Memorial Day flights

Updated October 26, 2026 by Axel (helloaxel.com).

Book Memorial Day flights 22 to 57 days (about 3 to 8 weeks) before you fly: for Memorial Day 2027 (Mon May 31), that means booking between Sun Apr 4 and Sun May 9. Expect the biggest airport crowds on Fri May 28.

Live prices: Search Memorial Day flights, Fri May 28 to Mon May 31, 2027. Choose your airports; the dates are the usual holiday trip and can be changed.

Key numbers

  • 22-57 days: before departure: the booking window the evidence supports [1][2]
  • +13%: travelers on the busiest day vs the period average [3]
  • 74%: of flights on time over Memorial Day in recent years [4]

When should I book Memorial Day flights?

Book Memorial Day flights 22 to 57 days (about 3 to 8 weeks) before you fly. That is where the published studies point: CheapAir, 2025: Fares rise from about 21 days out; Google Flights, 2026: Domestic fares lowest about 39 days out (22 to 57) [1][2].

What the studies say about booking Memorial Day flights

SourceAdviceBased on
CheapAir, 2025Fares rise from about 21 days outCheapAir fares
Google Flights, 2026Domestic fares lowest about 39 days out (22 to 57)Average fares

Book-by dates for Memorial Day

Booking windows

22 to 57 days before departure.

TripBest time to bookStatus (Oct 26, 2026)
Memorial Day 2027 (Mon May 31)Sun Apr 4, 2027 to Sun May 9, 2027Opens Sun Apr 4

Cheapest days to fly for Memorial Day

What other studies found

  • CheapAir says midweek departures are often 22% cheaper than Friday or Monday [1].

Busiest and quietest days to fly around Memorial Day

At airport checkpoints, the busiest day of the Memorial Day period is Fri May 28, about 13% above the period's average day, and the quietest is Sat May 29, 9% below [3]. That held as the single busiest day in 5 of 6 years checked (2019 and 2022 onward).

Travelers screened by TSA, vs the period average

Average over 6 years (2019, 2022 onward).

ValueNote
Mon May 24+6%
Tue May 25-8%
Wed May 26-1%
Thu May 27+11%
Fri May 28+13%
Sat May 29-9%
Sun May 30-8%
Mon May 31 (Memorial Day)+6%
Tue Jun 1-3%
Wed Jun 2-8%
Thu Jun 3+1%

Source: TSA [3]

Delays and cancellations over Memorial Day

Across the 3 Memorial Day travel periods in the federal on-time data, 74.2% of flights arrived on time and 1.16% were cancelled, against 78.3% on time across all days [4]. Leave slack in connections, and take early flights where you can.

  • One flight in ten ran an hour or more late over Memorial Day weekends [4].
  • Alaska (78.6%) and Delta (78.0%) had the best records; Frontier (68.2%) and American (68.6%) the worst [4].

Memorial Day on-time record

PeriodOn timeCancelled
2024-05-23 to 2024-05-2971.0%2.08%
2025-05-22 to 2025-05-2877.3%0.58%
2026-05-21 to 2026-05-2774.1%0.82%

Source: BTS [4]

Is Memorial Day travel more expensive this year?

AAA put 2026 Memorial Day domestic round trips 6% cheaper than 2025 at $800, because most were booked before jet fuel rose [5]. The federal airline-fare price index was up 22.4% year over year in September 2026 [6].

Already booked?

  • Within 24 hours of booking, if you booked at least 7 days before departure, you can cancel for a full refund and rebook at a lower price [7].
  • On most standard (non-basic) fares from Delta, United, American and Southwest, you can change to the same flight at the lower price with no change fee; the difference usually comes back as airline credit.
  • If you book with Axel, Axel watches the fare and claims the difference when the same fare drops: Members keep 100% of the saving, free users keep 75%.

Questions travelers ask

How far in advance should I book Memorial Day flights?

Book Memorial Day flights 22 to 57 days (about 3 to 8 weeks) before you fly, which for Memorial Day 2027 means booking between Sun Apr 4, 2027 and Sun May 9, 2027. Fares climb fastest in the last two to three weeks.

Are Memorial Day flights more expensive this year?

AAA put 2026 Memorial Day domestic round trips 6% cheaper than 2025 at $800, because most were booked before jet fuel rose [5].

Is Memorial Day weekend busy at airports?

The peak is Fri May 28, about 13% above the period's average day; the quietest is Sat May 29, 9% below [3].

When should I book Memorial Day flights?

The window the evidence supports for Memorial Day 2027 (Mon May 31) is Sun Apr 4, 2027 to Sun May 9, 2027 (opens Sun Apr 4). Waiting into the final two weeks usually costs the most.

How this guide was made

Fares are the lowest round-trip economy fares Google Flights showed in Axel's flight searches from May 6 to Oct 26, 2026, compared within the same routes so that a route's general price level doesn't count as a holiday effect. The cheapest-day figures compare departures on each day with the same routes' departures 15 to 28 days either side, at the same booking lead time; days with too few fares are left out. Crowd figures are TSA's daily checkpoint counts, 2019 and 2022 onward; delay figures are the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' on-time data. The booking window combines Axel's fares with the published studies cited, each of which measures something different (see the table).

Sources

  1. Why You Should Book Flights for Memorial Day Weekend Now, CheapAir.com, 2025-01-30
  2. Google Flights data to find holiday deals and trending destinations, Google (The Keyword blog), 2026-10-05
  3. TSA checkpoint travel numbers (people screened per day), 2019 to Oct 25 2026, Transportation Security Administration, retrieved October 26, 2026
  4. Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (airline on-time data), U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
  5. 45 Million Americans Planning Memorial Day Weekend Getaways, AAA, 2026-05-11
  6. Consumer Price Index - September 2026, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-10-14
  7. Refunds and other consumer protections: the 24-hour reservation rule (14 CFR 259.5), U.S. Department of Transportation

Related