Radio is coming on a road trip, and he’s packing more than I am. Three trips got cancelled: Vegas, New York and Madrid. Not by the airline; by work. With nowhere specific I needed to be and a now-open calendar, we decided to plan a multistate road trip through New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. Naturally.
We’ll get home before Thanksgiving. But in my mind, that and Christmas are an eternity away. We finally dropped below 100 degrees here in Dallas. I can drive around with the windows down, sunroof open and tank top on. Holidays…what are those?
But turns out if you don’t buy your Thanksgiving flights before Halloween, prices will give you a fright. Fares are already at a 10-year high this holiday season, according to Hopper.
Thanksgiving fares are averaging $402 round-trip, up 31% from last year
Christmas trips are $452 on average, up 23% from last year
For many, holiday travel isn’t optional. It might be joyful or obligatory, but it’s rarely a choice. You’re going.
But from here on out, fares will continue to climb.
Which means now is the time to use your miles or points if you’ve got them. We’re not flying over the holidays but do have a multi-flight trip early next year. We’re going to cash in those bad boys. If travel costs suddenly drop in the next few months, we can always cancel and pay cash instead. Booking a flight now is a bet on fuel prices, the war in Iran, and whether the trip even happens.
Don’t think higher travel prices will keep people home. All year long, the cost of traveling has continued to climb. In September, airfares were up 22% from the previous year.
We’re keeping up. The number of people flying is only 1% lower than last year, according to TSA data. That’s a blip. Hopper says holiday bookings are ahead of past years because people are booking weeks earlier. I’m always impressed by those people.
And it’s not like driving is cheap. Gas is way more expensive than any of us are used to or comfortable with: up 45% since late February. For our loop, we’re expecting to spend about $500 on gas.
Gary considered renting an RV and quickly ruled that out. I like the idea of a Sprinter van. Room to move around and plenty of space where we can keep Radio’s food frozen. But then I looked at the cost: anywhere from $3K to $9K. And if you go too many miles in a day, it will cost you more. We’re driving the Subaru.
What’s Driving High Travel Costs
The war in Iran
Gas prices — in particular diesel and jet fuel — jumped after the war started.
Fewer flights
The better question is what isn’t contributing to higher travel costs. In May, low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines shut down, so there are fewer flights overall and fewer seats available. If the plane isn’t busting at the seams, it’s cheaper for the airline to not fly. That’s often why flights are cancelled. United cut about 5% of its flights this spring and summer and is already cancelling some in December. Which also means the seats that are getting airborne will cost even more.
You’ll feel it in higher ticket prices and higher baggage fees. Delta, United and American all raised the first checked bag to $45 this spring, blaming fuel.
We’ve found the fun-looking dog-friendly places to stay. It will be our first road trip with the three of us. Come to think of it, I’m not sure Gary and I have ever done a road trip. I like to stop and check out kooky things along the way. He’s all about getting to the destination. Like most things, it will end up being Radio who decides. He has plenty of coats to take on the trip. The trickier thing: he prefers to drink from a fountain, and I haven’t figured out how to plug that in while the car is moving.
When life stops making sense, we shop go on a road trip. More soon.
