The best and worst times to fly, according to passengers
Sunday equals frowny face.
A global survey of airline passengers has revealed the best and worst times to fly — and according to the vast majority, any kind of air travel on the Lord’s Day is absolute hell.
Customer satisfaction site HappyOrNot.com examined responses from 10 million flyers from 30 nations during the first three months of 2024, using the company’s happy-to-sad face touch button machines — the kind often seen outside public restrooms.
![Woman sitting and drinking coffee at an international airport terminal with a red bag, looking upset due to a canceled flight.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/AdobeStock_96392276.jpg?w=1024)
Sunday appeared to be the most hated day to fly, with only 80.5% of travelers delivering positive scores, while 83.5% found Wednesday to be pure heaven.
Taking off at midnight was the most despised time, with just 78.3% of respondents pushing the happy face buttons, whereas 84.5% had nothing but love for 7 a.m. departures.
Close to midnight, 11 p.m. was the next worst time to depart, with just a 79.1% positive rating, followed by 10 p.m., at 79.3%.
“We’ve seen over the years that late at night is consistently the least happy time to fly, and this year it’s no different, with midnight being the unhappiest hour in terms of customer feedback,” said Miika Mäkitalo, CEO of HappyOrNot, in an email to The Post.
![Midnight was the most hated time to take off.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/AdobeStock_266992333.jpg?w=1024)
In 2022, the most desired time to fly was 8 a.m.; in 2023, a chaotic year for travel, passengers preferred 4 a.m., possibly to get out of the airport ahead of the crowds.
“Earlier in the morning coincides with the time that airport facilities are likely to be at their most pristine and tidy, and staff are energized at the beginning of their shifts,” Mäkitalo pointed out.
The survey also revealed baggage claim to be the most hated area of an airport, as opposed to security, which was considered to be the most liked.
Friendliness, cleanliness, and lines were travelers’ three biggest concerns, overall.