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If you tried to book a Summer stops, You may have been surprised by Flight price. Many hoping travelers are asking for why flight prices are so expensive right now. Despite the best efforts of travelers to be flexible with their date and fly to historically hunted destinations, prices are still high, in particular compared to reduced prices of 2019 and 2020. During the last year, the price of the index of consumption for plane tickets Spiked up 25% —Pacant inflation at 8%.

In the past year, flight prices have has increased spectacularly On national and international flights, according to the American work statistics office. With increased demand after Pandemic restrictions raised ,, staff shortages and an increase in Jet fuel price , there was a perfect storm of factors leading to a higher price and to a lack of affordable options for travel. Many airlines have been cutting flights Also.

Here are the reasons why the experts say that the flight prices are so expensive at the moment, the more the duration of the wait before starting to go back up and how you can better find cheaper options.

Six reasons why the flights are so expensive

The request is back from the pandemic, which leads to more expensive flights

At the end of 2021, trips began to take over the countries while the countries began to open and certain travel restrictions were attenuated. Now, most countries have dropped their restrictions, and the repressed demand for travel means that many people start traveling at the same time.

According to industry experts, travel companies, airlines have increased their flight prices with demand. This is one of the main reasons why flights are so expensive at the moment.

"Since January, we have seen a reservation activity tied with pre-pale levels," explains Stuart Lewis, travel agent and editor-in-chief of chief Travel scoop . "If anything, consumer demand was a little higher in the first quarter of this year compared to 2019."

But increased demand is not universal. In fact, depending on where the flights take place, a certain request has even dropped in the past year. Although demand is higher for domestic flights, some international prices are lagging behind, including trips to Asia from the United States.

"Post-vacancy reservations for interior flights and shorter international flights jumped at the end of 2022 and at the beginning of this year," explains Julie Ramhold, Consumer analyst for Transactions . "But longer international flights are still experiencing a lower demand, although some industry experts say they expect demand to come back this year."

The jet fuel prices were increasing

When it comes to determining the flight prices, one of the most important considerations that companies make is the price of jet fuel. When it costs more to buy it, it will be reflected in the price of a ticket.

"Jet fuel prices are a considerable cost for airlines and remain around 16% higher than pre-pale levels," explains Hayley Berg, main economist on the travel application Hopper . "Although fuel costs have improved considerably in the past 15 months, prices have been the highest since the end of 2014."

The price of jet fuel can be affected by several different factors, including the war in Ukraine, which led to a spectacular increase in prices. At its peak, Cost of jet fuel $ 172 per barrel in June 2022, according to the International Air Transport Association. But the price has dropped since it reached the summit last summer.

"Aircraft fuel prices dropped after drawing up the start of the Ukraine war, in the same way as consumer fuel prices," said Lewis. "They almost returned to the 2019 levels."

Fly around Russian airspace

A surprising reason why the flights are so expensive at the moment: jet fuel prices have increased after the start of the war in Ukraine, but the war also had another impact on airline trips. After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many Western countries, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain and members of the European Union, prohibited Russian planes from fly in their airspace.

In retaliation, Russia has prohibited airlines of approximately 36 countries the use of its airspace. This makes longer flights from the United States to go to destinations in Asia, which leads to a price increase.

"Most airlines lock in the prices of aviation fuel far in advance, some more successful than others, but the increase in prices, associated with the increased distance for flights traveling around the Russian airspace, has certainly contributed to higher prices, "said Lewis.

Major endowment deprivists in airlines

In the first part of the COVVI-19 pandemic, airlines licensee more than 90,000 employees, including drivers ,, flight attendant, And luggage handles , in the United States only. This led to an extreme shortage of employees when travels started to take off in 2021 and 2022, and this shortage led to an increase in the cost of prices. While many employees were on leave, others chose to take incentive packages leave their businesses, according to The Washington Post.

Many have chosen to retire early. There is a Compulsory retirement age For drivers at 65, but some have chosen to withdraw a few years earlier. About 13,500 Pilots and on -board agents At American Airlines has chosen to take voluntary leave or retire early, according to Dallas Morning News.

"We see the highest theft prices that we have seen for years and, part of this, is due to the shortages of staff with airlines faced," said Ramhold. "A smaller basin of personnel means being able to establish fewer flights, which means being able to have fewer flights in the first place."

A staff shortage Also led to more canceled or delayed flights, as well as to the elimination of certain routes, because there are not enough staff to work on the routes. The elimination of certain routes could also increase flight prices because there are fewer alternatives and could lead to more carylovers for travelers.

"[A smaller basin of staff] means reducing the routes in some cases, which could mean focusing on routes outside the big cities and airports that are already more expensive," said Ramhold.

There is a plane shortage

In addition to staff shortages, there is aircraft shortages , Also. Many airlines have not received their full orders for new planes, in particular 737 maximum planes, because the American manufacturer Boeing was confronted with a Supplier quality problem By Spirit Aerosystems, according to Reuters. Both Boeing and Airbus, the two passenger jet suppliers, are sold for popular commercial models until 2029, according to Bloomberg.

The financial service company Jefferies LLC considers that there is currently a backlog of orders 12,720 planes , and many airlines regularly experience significant delays with their plane orders. Airplanes less available for airlines result in less available flights. It also means that there are older planes in rotation, which probably have more service needs. Overall, part of the reason why the flights are so expensive at the moment are due to multiple shortages both in labor and supplies.

Business travelers influence flight prices

One of the largest changes in the workplace that has occurred since the start of the pandemic is the rise in remote work. More ... than 25% of jobs In North America, is distant, according to Forbes, and surprisingly, this is another reason why the flights are so expensive at the moment. With more people working at home and the boom in videoconference, fewer people travel for business.

"If there is less Business trip In progress due to an increase in remote work, so this can be considered as a factor in the drop in demand for theft overall, "says Ramhold." And a lower demand can mean the price increase, as airlines must compensate for an increase in operating costs but fewer travelers overall. ""

Although leisure trips have bounded at pre-pale levels, it is not clear if business trips will be completely recovered. A morning consultation report has revealed that there is currently 18% fewer employees This trip for business compared to pre-pale levels. The decrease in business travelers finally leads airlines to increase prices for leisure travelers in order to compensate for lost income.

How to save money on plane tickets while flights are dear

Consider the basic economic rates for flights

Recently, more and more airlines have tried to compete with budget airlines by offering a less expensive option with the basic economy. Basic economic seats are the cheapest option on many airlines, such as United and American Airlines. Although their prices are lower, basic economic seats often allow passengers to bring a personal article, and not a handbag which they could put in the trash, so passengers will have to shed light on their trips 'They choose the basic economy.

"They are generally lower, but are often impractical," explains Lewis. "Half-cross flights are offered with just a little hand luggage, think of a handbag, not even a Wheelie bag. For short hops, these prices can make more sense."

In addition, the basic economy generally does not allow the assignments of seats and no modification or cancellation can be made after 24 hours of purchase of a ticket.

Use tools Find cheap flight prices

When you are looking for a cheaper rate, you don't have to scroll several tabs by comparing each airline. There are many online tools that compare flight prices through destinations and in different airlines.

"Applications like Hopper are particularly useful because you can follow several routes and the application will tell you when to book the best price," explains Ramhold. "" Google flights is also good for pricing and recently deployed its Google Flights price guarantee which will reimburse the difference in eligible flights if the price drops after having reserved Google. ""

Lewis recommends using kayak to find flights or flight combinations at the lowest price. Kayak also gives advice when searching on your website to find out if it's the right time to buy plane tickets and if the prices will drop or increase in the future.

Compare budget airlines on the prices of flights to the main airlines

When you compare different airlines, it is always tempting to go with a low -budget airline . Airlines at low cost provide flights at cheaper rates, sometimes half the cost of traditional airlines.

Part of the reason for which they are able to offer flights at lower prices is that they do not offer features such as television screens or reclining seats. Although flight prices may seem cheap, airlines are still looking to make the difference and will add additional costs for equipment that is included in the ticket price with other airlines.

"The price in advance may seem lower, but you can be hit with a lot of costs during the Reservation process That increases the final price, "said Ramhold." The economy airlines also often charge for each small thing, transportation to refreshments in flight, which means even if you find yourself with a price price overall, you can always end up spending more for your trip because of Accessory products. ""

If you choose to buy a flight on a low -budget airline - like Spirit Airlines, Southwest or JetBlue - Be aware of the additional costs that the airline will charge for things like a checkered bag, hand baggage or the choice of your own seat.

Faq

When will prices drop?

Although thefts can be expensive at the moment, they are in fact on a trajectory down. Due to the drop in jet fuel prices, flight prices are already starting to drop by almost 20%. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"With a higher capacity available from airlines this summer and rescue for aircraft fuel prices, indoor air prices are down almost 20% compared to the period last year," said Berg . "The current interior plane ticket is on average $ 306 per ticket, down 19% compared to last year."

Although this is good news for all those who travel at the national level, this is another story to Flights to Europe or Asia. Berg says that flight prices for travel on both continents are the highest they have "in five years".

How does seasonality affect the price of plane tickets?

Seasonality plays a big role in the cost of a flight. There is a higher demand for certain destinations at certain times - Hawaii ,, Mexico , and other tropical destinations are popular destinations in winter and Europe is wanted in summer. The increased demand for these locations increases the flight prices during these periods.

"There are certain places which are higher destinations during certain periods of the year, which means that the air prices will then be higher," said Ramhold.

What are the best days to find cheap flights?

When it comes to reserving a Economic flight , it doesn't matter whether you buy your ticket on Tuesday or a Saturday - prices are relatively the same price throughout the week. But when it comes to flying, this is where you will see large price differences, according to Lewis. It is cheaper to fly in the middle of the week - the days, Wednesday or Thursday - that it is to fly the weekend. It is a way to avoid more expensive flights.

"In terms of booking, I have never really seen a lot of difference," explains Lewis. "In terms of theft, I'm still looking for mid -week flights."

Although flights in the middle of the week are generally cheaper, Lewis says that it ultimately depends on the destination.