Non-revs ask this every week: what are the best days to fly standby to London, or Cancún, or LAX, and when are the planes empty? Pick a route and a week starting Sunday, and this page shows every nonstop each day, the quietest days to fly, any holiday or school break that changes the pattern, and how full each airline’s flights ran that month last year. Use it with the Nonrev Destination Intel page for the destination view and the Flight Schedules tool for connections.
How to pick your day
Start with the day cards. More nonstops on a day means more chances to clear, and a second airline is a second list to be on. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are tagged because airline schedule data and TSA checkpoint counts show they are usually the quietest days to fly; Fridays and Sundays are usually the busiest. Then read the holiday line. A school break or a public holiday at either end of the route changes who is flying and when, and the usual Tuesday-and-Wednesday pattern may not hold that week. Last, look at the monthly loads by airline. If one carrier ran noticeably fuller than the other that month, lean toward the emptier one and list early.
Best Days to Fly Standby: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best day of the week to fly standby or non-rev?
Tuesday and Wednesday are usually the quietest days to fly, on both airline schedule data and TSA checkpoint counts, so they give a standby traveler the best odds on most routes. Friday and Sunday are usually the busiest. Holidays and school breaks override that pattern, which is why Passrider’s Best Day to Fly page flags them for the week you choose.
Does this page show how full a specific flight will be?
No. It shows every nonstop on each day, the days that usually run quieter, holidays that change the pattern, and monthly loads by airline from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s T-100 data. A monthly average cannot tell one day from another, so Passrider shows it for the month only rather than inventing a number for your flight. Check your airline’s own listing for seat counts before you list.
Where do the monthly load numbers come from?
From BTS T-100, the U.S. Department of Transportation dataset where airlines report seats flown and passengers carried by route and month. The percentage on Passrider’s Best Day to Fly page is passengers divided by seats for that airline, that route and that month, from the most recent full year. It counts revenue passengers only, so cabins ran somewhat fuller than the number suggests once non-revs and positive-space staff are added.
Why are Tuesdays and Wednesdays tagged “typically lower traffic”?
Because that is the pattern in airline scheduled seats and in TSA checkpoint throughput across the year: Tuesday and Wednesday carry the fewest travelers, Friday and Sunday the most. It is a general pattern, not a measurement of your flight, and holidays and school breaks change it, which is why the page notes both.
Can I search a whole city instead of one airport?
Yes. Enter a city code such as NYC, LON, HOU, CHI, WAS, PAR or TYO and Passrider’s Best Day to Fly page searches every airport in that city, so NYC to LON covers JFK, Newark and LaGuardia to Heathrow and Gatwick in one view.
Does it include connections or codeshares?
No. Best Day to Fly shows nonstops only, listed under the airline that operates them, so a codeshare does not show up as a second flight. For connections, use the Passrider Flight Schedules tool.
How far ahead can I look?
About eleven months, which is as far as published airline schedules go. Schedules are a snapshot and can change, so check your airline’s system before you list.