Demand for air travel is strong, but can Americans continue to afford it?
New data shows that as of September, airfare rose 42% over the previous year. The ghastly increase can be attributed to a few factors including the high demand (a double-edged sword) and the rise in the cost of fuel, as well as a shortage of pilots.
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“There’s also, if you can believe it, a shortage of planes across some airlines,” said Roger Broussard, a professional pilot and the CEO and founder of Pilot School Hero. “In essence, it’s harder now for an airline to lay on a flight than it was in 2019, and there’s less capacity across the industry, which, combined with a sudden and dramatic surge in demand, was always going to lead to price increases across the board.”
Despite the skyrocketing prices for airfare, there are ways to save on your next round trip.
Book Well in Advance
“The sooner you book your flight, the better,” said James Brad of Travare. “Airfares often increase the closer you get to your travel dates.
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Track Price Changes
“Use apps like Hopper or Skyscanner to track fluctuations,” said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com. “Part of planning ahead is going to be using apps like Hopper or Skyscanner, because they’ll allow you to track specific routes and help you to know when you should book your trip. These apps will tell you when it’s best to book or if you should wait as a rate may be likely to drop, all of which can help to remove some of the stress of booking a trip.”
“Use Google’s little-known but amazing ITA Matrix,” said Nate Hake, founder and CEO of Travel Lemming. “Most people don’t know about it, but it’s actually the best site for finding deals. ITA Matrix is owned by Google, and the underlying technology is actually what powers many other popular airline search engines. While it’s not quite as slick an interface as the better known sites, it’s more powerful and I’ve used it to find many great fares over the years.”
Clear Your Search History
“Clearing your cache and cookies, or searching in incognito mode, ensures you’re not being tracked while shopping,” said Christina Hubbell of Upaway. “This eliminates opportunities for airlines to increase fares based on your search history — as they know where you’re needing to travel and jump at any opportunity to lock you in at a higher rate.”