Airfare prices are feverishly rising with only weeks left until the Christmas holiday,
Flight costs typically surge ahead of the travel week, but prices are “rising faster than this time last year,” Haley Berg, lead economist at travel app Hopper, told FOX Business.
Prices have already risen 9% from last week, according to the data.
“As we approach Christmas, prices will continue to rise as flights get booked up by travelers headed home for the holidays,” Berg said.
For departures on Dec. 26 through Dec. 30, the average cost for a domestic round trip is $357, an increase of 3% from last year, although it’s in line with pre-pandemic prices, according to Hopper data.
A domestic round-trip flight on Christmas is averaging $349, also up 3% from last year.
However, flyers might get some relief for international trips as prices are down year over year.
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As of Dec. 6, round-trip tickets for Europe are averaging $982, down 18% from 2022. That’s also down from the highs seen this summer when flights to Europe from the U.S. were averaging nearly $1,200 per round-trip ticket.
Trips to Asia are averaging $1,920 round trip, down 14% from last year. However, this is slightly higher than prices leading into the summer season. In May, the average price for a flight to Asia was $1,817 per round trip.
For Mexico and Central America, trips are down 19% for Christmas. The average cost of a round-trip ticket is $750, according to Hopper data.
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Berg suggested last-minute holiday travelers try and book flights as early in the morning as possible. Flights departing after 9 a.m. are two times more likely to be delayed compared to departures between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., she said.
She also recommended adding a buffer day in case a flight is delayed or canceled. Berg also suggested trying to get a direct flight to avoid missing connections.