With the cost of basic necessities like food, medical care and insurance on the rise, many Americans are pinching their pennies to be able to afford all that they need. Now it’s been reported that the cost of flights during the holiday season is on the rise. Here’s everything you need to know and a couple of tips to hopefully save you some money.
Are holiday flights in 2022 more expensive?
Yes. These flights will be the most expensive in years.
- According to The Washington Post, Thanksgiving domestic flights will likely be 22% more expensive than 2019 and Christmas domestic flights will be around 31% higher. The average round trip price for Thanksgiving is expected to be $350 and for Christmas — $463.
- Andrew Heritage, economist at Hopper, told the Post, “Basically, the number one driver of why we’re seeing such high prices is there’s pent-up demand from people not traveling over the last few years.”
- Yahoo Finance reported that there was a year-to-year decline of 4.6% in August for airfare, but now flight prices are skyrocketing. It is also predicted that fares will rise as people begin to book their holiday flights.
How to save money on holiday flights?
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Here are some tips to help you save money on airfare this holiday season.
- If possible, fly home on cheaper flying dates like Nov. 22 for Thanksgiving or Dec. 21 for Christmas. According to The Points Guy, flying back to where you live on a Sunday will be the most expensive day to fly. Try to pick another day to fly instead.
- Play around with dates in Google Flights to find the best prices.
- Book as soon as possible.
- This is probably the most important tip: think about all the costs when you’re booking your flight. Expenses like checked bags and paying extra to sit next to each other if traveling with kids can add up. See how much these “extras” cost and factor that into your decision-making. Sometimes a flight may have a higher sticker price, but will cost you less overall.