Lee Collins waits for his flight back to Atlanta from Washington, D.C., on April 28. He is considering fewer flights to visit his family this year due to higher airfares. (Stephan Bisaha/NPR)
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 of dollars, 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 with multiple stops — but on average an international flight was about $150 higher in mid-April compared with a year earlier, according to Kayak.
That’s causing some Americans to change plans: choosing closer, cheaper destinations or skipping trips altogether.
Higher ticket prices may be here to stay
Airline tickets might not return to prewar prices even if the conflict ends. On a recent earnings call, United CEO Scott Kirby said the company might keep some prices higher to improve tight profit margins. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., has urged major airlines to commit to lowering prices when fuel costs fall.
Arlene Hogan, owner of travel adviser Vacays4U, said her bookings are down about 10% for the fall — most customers booked summer trips earlier when prices were lower. At a gathering of travel agency owners, others reported similar declines. “We are all seeing a dip in bookings,” Hogan said.
But Terry Dale, president and CEO of the U.S. Tour Operators Association, said his members haven’t reported a drop in bookings or more cancellations. Some flyers may afford higher fares thanks to record-high stock markets and growing portfolios. Groups without investments, like students, are still flying, though more cautiously. “There’s more pause,” Dale said. “But they’re still traveling.”
The Ridgeways haven’t given up hope of getting to Ireland if prices fall.
Americans are sticking to cheaper flights and staying closer to home
Travel advisers note a shift from overseas to domestic trips. International travelers face fewer choices this summer; Europe has been hit by fuel shortages, prompting airlines to cut offerings. Lufthansa canceled 20,000 flights through October.
Airlines in North America have been affected too. Air Canada temporarily suspended flights to New York’s JFK because of jet fuel prices, and United is “tactically pruning” flights during less popular times like overnight and Saturdays.
Hogan said Americans are also wary of traveling overseas while wars in Iran and Ukraine continue, preferring 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.”
Even for domestic travel, decisions often hinge on airfare cost. Lee Collins, who lives in Atlanta and visits family in Washington, D.C., a few times a year, says he might cut back on trips and skip flying for vacations. “It’s going to be a staycation this year,” Collins said.