Los Angeles, CA – November 23: A plane passenger is hugged as he is picked up in the middle of a long line of travelers waiting to board after arriving at Terminal 1 of Los Angeles International Airport for the Holidays Thanksgiving in Los Angeles on Tuesday, November 23, 2021.
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | beautiful pictures
If you’re thinking of flying over Thanksgiving or Christmas, be prepared to pay.
On Monday, Hopper said holiday flights will be the most expensive in five years.
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The average domestic airfare for Thanksgiving trips is $350, and international round-trips will cost an average of $795 — both marking a 22% increase year-over-year. 2019, before Covid pandemicHopper said.
According to Hopper data, domestic return tickets this weekend were nearly a third more expensive than in 2019, averaging $463, while international tickets rose 26% to $1,300.
Traveling during peak demand days, like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or the days before Christmas, always results in higher prices. Travel experts recommend being flexible and traveling outside of the busiest travel days.
But Brett Snyder, founder of travel website Cranky Flier and a former airline executive, warns cheap fares can be hard to find on any given day of this holiday season as airlines have improved their control their control over the number of seats they sell.
“Airlines are so much better now,” Snyder said. “Now they just fly a lot fewer flights on Christmas Day. If it’s cheaper, it’s not significantly cheaper.”
Many factors have contributed to turbulent summer for air travel – aircraft shortages, staffing and training backlogs – are not eased immediately, which will limit future flight capacity. It also means that prices are likely to remain bullish, even though they are well outside of the year’s highs.
Hopper’s top economist, Hayley Berg, recommends booking holiday travel no later than mid-October and says, “If you find a good price, even a reasonable one, we recommend you. should book.”
