This holiday season, more people may be forced to pay higher prices for overcrowded flights at packed airports, due to airline service cuts that increased this summer.
Service at 59 local and regional U.S. airports has been reduced by half from pre-pandemic levels, mostly as a result of pilot shortages and high fuel prices. Out of 430 U.S. airports that had scheduled passenger service as of last month, 112 airports have lost at least a third of their flights.
This season, flights for Americans are already more expensive. Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares were and are expected to be the highest in five years. Domestic round-trip tickets cost an average of $350 during Thanksgiving and are projected to reach $463 during Christmas.
According to the most recent inflation numbers, airfares increased dramatically by 43% in October compared to the same month last year.
For instance, on September 6, Ithaca Tompkins International Airport in New York lost its twice-daily American Airlines service to Philadelphia.
The prices for Thanksgiving at Tompkins were about twice as expensive as the national average for domestic round-trip tickets. The same is expected for Christmas.
On average, round-trip Thanksgiving airfare from Ithaca to U.S. locations was $552, 39% more expensive than it was at the same time last year.
Pilot shortages have been mentioned by major U.S. carriers as the reason for their reduction at smaller airports, with some of them claiming it would take years to find a solution.
Travel experts recommend that those wishing to cut costs may think about moving their celebration dates back a few days or at the very least stay away from the busiest travel days, to avoid paying the highest tickets at smaller hubs and big airports.
For Christmas, which falls on a weekend this year, it is recommended to look for flights on the Monday or Tuesday before the holiday.
Travelers can also look for Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday deals provided by hotel companies, independent hotels, and travel booking websites – many of which are already online.