With holiday airfares skyrocketing faster than an aircraft, the recent boom in renting superyachts instead has started to make a lot of sense. Per CNBC, flights for the holidays will be the most expensive in five years, according to fare-tracker Hopper. “Significant factors including jet fuel prices, fewer flights scheduled, and two years of pent-up holiday travel demand will combine this year to drive Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares to their highest in the last five years,” Hopper lead economist Hayley Berg said in its 2022 holiday travel outlook report.
The aviation industry was one of the worst hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, but by the cost of plane tickets in recent months, they will make up for losses pretty soon. With the fear of the pandemic dwindling and the eagerness to travel increasing, airlines are scrambling to meet higher demand despite shortages of pilots and flight crews, higher fuel costs, and other supply chain difficulties. Irksome disruptions have been witnessed during peak holiday travel weekends such as the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Even that didn’t deter people from wanting to hop on a plane. NY Post stated that domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday sold for an average of $350 per ticket this year, a marked increase of 43% compared to last year’s holiday price.
Domestic flights also increased by 22% compared to the pre-pandemic holiday travel season in 2019. International flight tickets also got a lot more expensive, with an average price of $795 per ticket this Thanksgiving and an increase of nearly 41% compared to last year. Come Christmas, tickets soared and were 39% more expensive than last year, with international fares commanding a staggering average of $1,300. Brett Snyder, the founder of the Cranky Flier travel website and a former airline manager, warns cheap fares might be hard to find on any day this holiday season because airlines have improved their control over how many seats they sell.
“Airlines are so much better at this now,” Snyder said. “Now they just fly a lot fewer flights on Christmas Day. If it is cheaper, it’s not significantly cheaper.” Booking tickets well in advance is clearly the new equivalent of a discount on ticket prices. Those who stand and stare land up with a mammoth fare!
