A new study by Australian-based luggage brand, Kadi Luggage has revealed the best time and day of the week to schedule your flights at five major Australian airports to avoid suffering at the hands of flight delays.
The study analysed both domestic and international flight punctuality data across Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth airports over a 30-day period to determine the most punctual time slots to travel.
Key Takeaways:
- Sydney is crowned the most punctual airport with flights departing up to 25 minutes early.
- Melbourne ranked as the worst performing airport when it comes to punctuality.
- Week days are revealed as the best day to depart from four major Australian airports.
- For incoming flights to Australia, weekend flights offer the journeys with the least delays.
Harry Saunders, Co-founder of KadiLuggage.com commented:
“Your airport experience is where your holiday begins, it sets the tone for the rest of your trip. No one wants to be sat for hours in an airport or delayed on the tarmac when they should be enjoying the start of their vacation.
“Timing is everything when it comes to travel. By choosing the best time slots for their next flight, such as the calm afternoons between 12pm-3pm, travelers can beat the airport rush hours, avoid delays and experience a smoother journey from start to finish.”
Head to Sydney Airport Between 12pm-3pm to Avoid Airport Rush Hours
Sydney airport has been revealed to offer travellers the best window of opportunity to avoid airport rush hours. Both outbound and inbound flights to Sydney airport from 12pm-3pm are exceptionally punctual, with flights arriving on average 25 minutes earlier and departing 23 minutes earlier than scheduled. This time slot also had the lowest volume of flights, meaning travellers can cruise through security and enjoy an overall calmer airport experience.
The Best Time to Depart From Five Major Australian Airports
The data analysis across each of the five major airports in Australia revealed that the early afternoon flights between 12pm to 3pm dominate as the best time to depart to avoid delays.
In fact, the 12pm to 3pm time slot on a Friday from Sydney, a Tuesday from Adeleide and a Monday from Brisbane boasted early departures, highlighting just how smooth the journey at this time can be.
Whilst travellers from Sydney enjoy the earliest departures, averaging 25 minutes early, travellers from Adelaide and Brisbane airports can also enjoy that extra bit of holiday time with flights departing on average 19 and 14 minutes early, respectively.
However, for those opting for flights departing from Melbourne and Perth, the most opportune time to fly are mornings. Whilst there are significantly more flights scheduled during this time block, delays are still minimal at 7 minutes for Perth and 8 minutes for Melbourne.
Whilst the best day of the week to depart varies by airport, research by Kadi Luggage highlights a strong trend towards week-day flights offering the best travelling experience.
The Worst Time to Depart From Five Major Australian Airports
In comparison, the worst time to fly for these five major airports are early to late mornings, with the worst times between 5am to 9am. Travellers at this time should anticipate delays of up to 33 minutes.
Whilst the worst day of the week to depart also varies by airport, Kadi Luggage’s analysis highlights a strong trend towards weekend flights offering the most stressful travelling experience for those flying out of these five major airports.
The Best Time to Fly Into Five Major Australian Airports
Oftentimes travellers expect that the later in the day your flight, the more chance you have of being delayed due to the accrued delays throughout the day. However, Kadi Luggage’s research debunks this myth as it shows that afternoon and evening flights are the best times to fly home.
Despite the best time slots varying, all five airports offer a window of opportunity for travellers to mitigate the stress of travelling by arriving at their destinations earlier than anticipated. Sydney leads with the earliest arrival times with flights landing on average 23 minutes early within its best time slot . Following this, Adeleide and Perth flights land on average 16 and 15 minutes early, respectively.
Sydney offers the most punctual and least busy window between 12pm to 3pm for incoming flights. Whilst the best time to fly into Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth is early evening between 3pm and 6pm. Those flying into Brisbane should look for flights even later, between 6pm and 9pm.
In contrast to departing flights, the data revealed that the best time of the week for incoming flights to four of these five major airports is over the weekend.
The Worst Time to Fly Into Five Major Australian Airports
The worst time to fly into the five major airports was found to be 12pm to 3pm, with average delays of up to 32 minute delays, further supporting that it isn’t the late afternoon and evening flights that are a traveller’s worst enemy after all.
The worst day to fly considerably varies by arrival airport. However, with many airports seeing both the best and worst day to fly into on a weekend, it highlights just how much the timing of your flight can impact your overall travel experience.
