Lee Collins waits for his flight back to Atlanta from Washington, D.C., and is considering fewer trips to see family this year because airfares have risen.
If there’s anything as painfully expensive right now as buying a ticket for a concert, it’s buying one for a flight.
James and Lea Ridgeway already spent hundreds on concert tickets to see The Cure in Ireland this summer. But the flights they planned have risen by thousands, and they’re leaning toward canceling the trip.
“The tickets are so high. It just eats up a lot of the money that we had set aside for the holiday,” Lea said. “It is very disappointing,” James added.
Flying is getting more expensive, mainly because the price of jet fuel roughly doubled after the war in Iran began. Not every fare has jumped by thousands — the Ridgeways planned to fly business class and make multiple stops — but on average an international flight was about $150 higher in mid-April compared with a year earlier, according to travel site Kayak.
That’s causing some Americans to change travel plans, choosing closer, cheaper destinations or skipping trips entirely.
Higher ticket prices may be here to stay
Airline tickets might not return to prewar prices anytime soon, even if the conflict eases. On a recent earnings call, United CEO Scott Kirby said the company might keep some prices higher to improve its traditionally tight profit margins. Rep. Ritchie Torres has called on major airlines to commit to lowering prices when fuel costs fall.
Arlene Hogan, owner of travel adviser Vacays4U, said bookings have dropped about 10% for the fall — most summer trips were booked earlier, when prices were lower. At a recent meeting of travel agency owners, many reported similar declines. “We are all seeing a dip in bookings,” Hogan said.
But Terry Dale, president and CEO of the United States Tour Operators Association, said his members haven’t reported a decline in bookings or more cancellations. That may be because many travelers feel they can afford pricier tickets due to a strong stock market and growing portfolios. Groups without significant investments, like students, still fly even though they’re more vulnerable to economic headwinds. “There’s more pause,” Dale said. “But they’re still traveling.”
The Ridgeways are among those on pause. They haven’t given up hope on Ireland if fares come down.
Americans are sticking to cheaper flights and staying closer to home
Travel advisers note a shift away from overseas bookings in favor of domestic trips. International travelers face fewer flight choices this summer; Europe has been hit by fuel shortages, prompting some airlines to cut offerings. Lufthansa canceled 20,000 flights through October.
Airlines based in North America have also been affected. Air Canada temporarily cut routes to New York City’s JFK, and United is “tactically pruning” flights during less popular times, like overnight and Saturdays.
Hogan said Americans are also wary of overseas travel while wars in Iran and Ukraine continue, choosing destinations that feel safer. “Hawaii is hot,” she said. “Even though Hawaii is an expensive destination, it gives people a sense of security because it’s still the United States.”
But even for domestic travel, airfare costs drive decisions. Lee Collins, who lives in Atlanta and travels several times a year to Washington, D.C., to see family, said he might cut back on those trips and skip plane travel for vacations. “It’s going to be a staycation this year,” Collins said.