DAYTON — Travelers planning for the upcoming holiday season are being advised to book flights immediately as rising fuel costs push airfare higher. With Thanksgiving approximately 60 days away, News Center 7’s consumer reporter Xavier Hershovitz said that in Montgomery County, delaying ticket purchases could result in significantly higher costs.
The traditional timeline for booking holiday travel has shifted earlier this year due to continuous increases in jet fuel costs.
Prices for Thanksgiving and Christmas flights are already higher than last year, prompting travel experts to urge consumers to secure their flight plans now rather than waiting.
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Clint Henderson, managing editor of the travel website The Points Guy, said the traditional timeline for securing flight deals no longer applies. “Usually, you have till even Halloween to book your Christmas flights, etc.
This year, we’re throwing that out the window,” Henderson said.
Airfare rates have already experienced significant year-over-year increases heading into the holiday season. “For Thanksgiving, we’re seeing prices nine to 13% higher for Christmas, as much as 18 to 20% higher year over year,” Henderson said.
Fuel costs remain a primary factor in the climbing ticket rates across airlines. “Already, we’re seeing huge increases. We expect those increases to go even higher, especially as the cost of jet fuel, of diesel fuel, of gasoline continues to surge week by week,” Henderson said.
Travelers seeking to save money can reduce costs by maintaining flexibility with their travel dates. “If you can add a day or two on either side of your, you know, your vacation time, you can save up to hundreds of dollars by changing the date slightly,” Henderson said.
Outside of the holiday travel season, flying on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays typically offers lower rates because fewer business travelers fly on those days.
For future trips, such as spring break, setting up price alerts on flight search tools allows travelers to keep track of fare changes.
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