A financial adviser has urged Britons to consider the specific time of day when booking their 2026 holidays to secure the best deals. According to Abs Mechial, who shared his insights on TikTok, there is a precise minute each day when holidays are, on average, significantly cheaper—but it may require setting an early alarm.
The Worst and Best Times to Book
Mechial explained that research indicates a one-hour window each day when holiday bookings can cost substantially more. 'The most expensive time to book is between 9am and 10am,' he said. 'Bookings in that window came in around 30 per cent more than the cheapest time of the day. So, no more booking holidays as soon as you log in for the day.'
For the most economical time, Mechial advised that early birds reap the rewards. 'Early... and I mean really early,' he noted. 'Between 4am and 5am—and the logic does make sense.' He highlighted that overnight demand 'drops off,' causing prices to 'reset' to their baseline. 'Then as the day goes on, the more searches and more clicks result in prices starting to creep back up again.'
Alternative Times for Late Risers
For those unwilling to wake before dawn, Mechial suggested a more realistic alternative. 'Late evening, around 8pm to 10pm tends to be noticeably cheaper than the morning rush,' he said. However, for the ultimate bargain, he revealed the exact minute: 'According to the data, the single cheapest minute to book a holiday is 2:48am. Bookings made at that precise time worked out up to 60 per cent cheaper on average.'
Mechial cautioned that this figure should be taken with a pinch of salt. 'Booking at 2:48am isn't going to make every holiday 60 per cent cheaper, but the pattern is clear—if you want to save money, avoid peak booking hours because timing, just like everything else with money, makes a massive difference.'
User Tips and Reactions
In the comments, one TikTok user offered an unverified tip: 'Best to search in private browser so prices do not increase if you are searching for same destinations. Prices increase with demand so private searching will prevent this.' Another added: 'I usually book mine within 72 hours of departure... like 50% cheaper! I find the hotels I want and then I wait for them to deal them off.' A third exclaimed: 'Wow that's crazy how the time of day can cost you!' While a fourth pointed out: 'Doesn't change if you want a certain resort at a certain time of year.'
