For many years, it has been cheaper to fly on Friday the 13th than other Fridays, with a saving of 21% available if the idea of travelling on that day doesn’t daunt you.
When compared to the average price of a round-trip flight on a Friday, you could save a hefty £99 by booking a flight for Friday the 13th, according to travel search engine Kayak.
One-way flights booked and flown on the same day to some of the leading tourist destinations in Europe, including Paris, Prague and Kraków, all cost under £100.
Indeed, at the time of writing (13 September), a 7.40pm flight from Gatwick to Paris costs just £74 with Vueling, and a Wizz Air flight to Prague is priced at just £80.
The next time a Friday falls on the 13th day of the month is in December and you might wish to act quickly if you want a festive getaway.
This is because, currently, flights to Paris are as cheap as £34 for Friday 13 December, whereas the same flight from Gatwick at 2.50pm the week after is £20 more expensive at £54.
There is no other Friday falling on the 13th day of the month until June next year, which will be useful to know if you want to book a cheaper summer holiday in 2025.
Reasons for the irrational fear surrounding this fabled combination of days and the time of the month is due to a story in the Bible, where Judas, who betrayed Jesus, is noted to be the 13th guest to sit down at the Last Supper.
‘Great deals on international flights’
A Kayak spokesperson said: “There are many misconceptions around travelling on Friday 13th, however if you’re not the superstitious type, our flight search data shows there are savings to be had. We saw a similar trend in price drops around this date in the past, which could be down to airlines anticipating that superstitious beliefs could impact demand.”
They added: “Flight prices are dynamic, which can sometimes make it confusing to find great deals. But there are plenty of low-effort ways to potentially save money on your next flight, regardless of whether you are travelling on Friday 13th or not, such as booking in advance.
“For instance, our current flight search data shows travellers searching at least eight weeks before departure often found great deals on international flights.”
