Flights are cheaper on Tuesdays. If you check in last your bags will come out first. Street food will always make you sick. Hostels are the cheapest form of accommodation. Warning signs only apply to other people…
There are a lot of travel myths out there. But sometimes a golden piece of advice emerges from the spin cycle. Speaking of which: here’s a doozy. Start booking early morning flights, and leave anything later than 8am for the laggards.
Why? There are three big reasons.
The first reason you should always book an early morning flight is this; it reduces the probability you will get hit with delays. Think about it: traffic on your way to the airport, the number of people queueing up in the airport, and then the number of planes vying for runway slots are all fewer in the morning.
Those early morning flights are 10000% better with a view like this
— Dulles Airport (IAD) (@Dulles_Airport) March 22, 2021
📷: IG matt_zolper pic.twitter.com/FpkSEDy5j0
Beyond sheer numbers, there has also been less time for a machine to break, a staff member to walk off the job, or an unruly passenger to cause chaos. Not to mention: flight attendants are also less likely to be grumpy if your flight hasn’t been delayed.
The second reason you should always book an early morning flight is that, according to some flight attendants, planes will have less chance of being dirty. As flight attendant Stella Connolly told NBC News in 2019: “Early morning flights are the best. They’re almost always on time.”
“As the day goes by, if one flight is late it’s a snowball effect and there’s a higher chance flights will be delayed. I recommend flying early.”
Stella Connolly
Connolly also said: “Cleaning crews don’t have time to do much between flights. Trash is picked up after the plane lands, bathrooms are cleaned and the aircraft is vacuumed.”
RELATED: Always Eat This Food On A Long Haul Flight, If You Want To Stay Fresh
Another reason to book an early morning flight is, especially outside of holiday time, it gives you a slightly better chance of being on a flight with a couple of empty seats. Whether that means an upgrade offer (to be paid for with points, as most are these days) or the chance to lay across a free row of seats, that’s a win in our book (they’re also sometimes cheaper).
I’m never booking an early morning flight again I say before booking the morning flight because it’s cheaper.
— Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) May 14, 2021
The third reason to always book an early morning flight is, as Science ABC explains, because most thunderstorms happen later in the day or at night. These can either cause delays or turbulence, neither of which are something you want for your flight.
Then there is of course the joy of a 6am Aperol Spritz, which really can’t be beaten, really…
Read Next