Hold times swing wildly by hour and day. Dial at the right moment - and use a few queue tricks - and you can cut an hour off your wait.
Part of our complete guide to airline customer service.
Quick answer: Call in the first hour after the phone line opens, mid-week (Tuesday to Thursday), in the airline’s home time zone — and always take the automated call-back if offered. Avoid Monday mornings, weekends, and the day after major storms, when hold times are longest.
The best hours to call
Call as early as you can, ideally in the first hour after the phone line opens in the airline’s home time zone. Overnight and very early morning are quietest because most travelers are asleep and the day’s disruptions have not yet piled up. The mid-afternoon lull, roughly 2–4 p.m. local, is a reasonable second choice. The worst window is late afternoon and evening, when the day’s delays and cancellations have flooded the queue.
The best days to call
Mid-week is calmest: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday generally have the shortest waits. Monday is the busiest weekday because the weekend’s problems land all at once, and weekends are heavy with leisure travelers making changes. If your issue can wait a day and it is not urgent, a Tuesday-morning call beats a Sunday-evening one every time.
The worst times to call
Expect long holds right after widespread disruption — a major storm, a system outage, or a mass cancellation. Everyone on those flights is calling at once. If you are caught in one of these events, do not rely on the phone alone: work the app, chat and the airport desk in parallel (see below). Holiday travel peaks — the days around Thanksgiving and late December — are also predictably bad.
Always take the call-back
If the system offers to hold your place and call you back, accept it every time. You keep your position in line without listening to hold music, and the airline rings you when an agent is free. It is the single biggest time-saver available, and it costs you nothing.
Beat the queue with other channels
The phone is not always the fastest route. For seat changes, name-spelling fixes, and simple questions, the airline’s app or website live chat is often quicker than calling. Verified airline accounts on X or Facebook Messenger can help too — but only use official, verified accounts, never a number or handle from a search ad.
Time zones and international lines matter
An airline’s main line is busiest during business hours in its home country. If a carrier is based in Europe or Asia, calling during its overnight (your daytime, or vice versa) can mean a shorter wait. Some airlines also run separate lines for elite members or for international offices that are far less crowded than the main reservations line.
Have everything ready before you dial
Whatever time you call, be prepared: booking reference, the exact name on the ticket, flight numbers and dates, and your loyalty number. A ready caller finishes a call in a fraction of the time of someone hunting for details mid-conversation — which also frees the line sooner for the next person.
A quick weekly cheat sheet
- Best: Tuesday–Thursday, first hour after opening, home time zone.
- Good: mid-afternoon lull, roughly 2–4 p.m. local.
- Avoid: Monday mornings, weekend evenings, and the 24–48 hours after a storm or outage.
- Always: accept the call-back, and try chat first for simple changes.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best time to call an airline to avoid long holds?
Call in the first hour after the line opens, mid-week (Tuesday–Thursday), in the airline’s home time zone. Overnight and early morning are quietest.
What's the worst time to call an airline?
Monday mornings, weekend evenings, and the 24–48 hours after a major storm, outage, or mass cancellation, when everyone affected is calling at once.
How do I skip the hold queue?
Accept the automated call-back if offered — you keep your place without holding. For simple changes, chat or the app is often faster than waiting on the phone.