The cheapest week to fly in summer 2026 is Aug 10 to 16, says Skyscanner

SINGAPORE – Planning a trip just after the National Day holiday on Aug 9 could help travellers snag better airfares, according to travel metasearch platform Skyscanner’s Smarter Summer Report.

The report, published in April, revealed that for trips from Singapore, the cheapest time to fly in July and August is the week from Aug 10 to 16. 

“Summer holiday demand typically starts to dip around early to mid-August as much of the peak leisure travel demand would have passed,” says Brendan Walsh, a travel trends and destination expert at Skyscanner.

“Mid-August is often a transitional week where airlines still have high flight capacity deployed for summer schedules, but demand would have softened slightly, which pushes fares down.”

The findings come as travel appetite among Singaporeans remains strong despite rising costs. The report found that 91 per cent of Singapore travellers plan to travel during the upcoming summer months, although 59 per cent say flight prices have made them reconsider their plans for the year.

Among the destinations with cheaper fares during the week of Aug 10 are Perth, Melbourne and Sapporo. From July to August, average round-trip airfares are about $433 to Perth and $739 to Sapporo.

For trips in June, the report identified Langkawi, Bali, Phuket and Bangkok as some of the most affordable destinations to visit, with average round-trip fares coming in below $260.

Beyond rising airfares, travellers are also grappling with the stress of organising trips.

Walsh says the biggest challenge for Singapore travellers is managing costs. Avoiding crowds, coordinating schedules and dealing with “decision paralysis” are also common pain points.

Based on the report, 58 per cent of respondents said planning a group holiday is more stressful than planning a wedding, while 56 per cent said it is more stressful than starting a new job.

To address cost concerns, Skyscanner suggests alternative destinations for summer, such as Krabi, Cebu, Haikou and Siem Reap. Round-trip airfare to Haikou in June can cost around $340 a traveller, based on checks by The Straits Times.

Timing also matters. According to the report, Sunday is typically the cheapest day for departures from Singapore.

Walsh adds: “The dip in prices on a Sunday can be explained by behavioural patterns. Value-optimising Singapore travellers often fly before the weekend and return on Sunday to maximise weekend travel, while business travellers typically fly out on Mondays and return during the work week, as companies tend to avoid weekend travel.

“Based on directional demand, on Sundays, demand for flights into Singapore may be high, but demand for flights out of Singapore tends to be softer.”

As airfares are driven largely by demand, weaker interest in outbound travel on Sundays can translate into lower ticket prices.

But travel data from other companies might paint a different picture.

In February, travel booking platform Expedia released its 2026 Air Hacks Report, which named Friday as the cheapest day and August as the cheapest month to fly internationally.

These differences may stem from variations in methodology, or the scale and diversity of the datasets being analysed, says Walsh.

For instance, while Expedia’s report analysed searches and bookings made between December 2024 and November 2025, Skyscanner’s findings were based on a survey of 1,000 Singapore respondents conducted between March and April, alongside flight search data from January to March for the outbound travel months of June to September.

“The best approach is for travellers to use these insights as a starting point, while still conducting their own searches for their intended destinations. Flexibility remains one of the most effective ways to secure better value. Even shifting departure dates by a few days before or after preferred travel periods can sometimes result in meaningful savings,” says Walsh.