Flights, another thing to add to the holiday shopping list

It’s going to cost a little more to get a sweet taste of home during the holidays this year. And we mean that literally (😋 + 💰), figuratively (❤️), and sarcastically (“how are you still single??”).

Thanksgiving domestic airfare prices are currently averaging $350 round trip, up 43% from last year, according to Hopper, a travel booking app. For Christmas flights, prices are higher than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve, averaging $463 round trip, up 39% from last year (though only 31% higher than in 2019).

• Those are the highest levels in at least five years, according to the website. And airfare outside of the holiday period is also up by ~42%.

✈️ Driving Flying the trend… The perfect storm of high demand for travel (the highest in three years), airline staffing shortages, delayed plane deliveries, and high fuel costs due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

💻 Bottom line: All that to say, prospective travelers should book ASAP, before prices get even higher (Hopper’s data indicates prices will remain relatively flat until October 20th). But that’s where our holiday tips stop – we haven’t figured out how to dodge prying questions from obscure relatives yet either.