Travel could be a good deal this summer. Here's when plane ticket prices will peak.
Spring is springing, and according to Hopper, it’s time to start thinking about your summer vacation plans.
New data from the online booking site shows some favorable trends for travelers in the next few months, including slightly lower airfares compared with 2023 and hotel and car rental prices that are more or less flat year-over-year.
Here’s what you need to know as you prepare to book, whether you’re looking for a domestic getaway or go on an overseas adventure. It’s also not too late to take advantage of deals on some last-minute trips.
How much are spring and summer plane tickets?
According to Hopper, the best deals right now are on domestic airline tickets. Round-trip flights within the U.S. are averaging $290 in April, but prices are expected to rise in the months ahead.
Hopper’s data shows prices for domestic flights will peak between May and June at $315 on average, then will gradually fall through the summer, reaching a low of $264 on average in September.
On a call with investors discussing first-quarter earnings Wednesday, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said summer travel demand has been pushed forward in recent years in part because schools, especially in the South, are finishing their summer breaks earlier in the year.
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This summer also will be a good time to travel internationally; Hopper data shows fares to most destinations abroad are down compared with last year.
“Airfare to international destinations continues to improve following two years of bloated prices due to quickly recovering demand, high fuel prices and supply constraints. Airfare to most major regions of the world has dropped compared to last year with the exception of trips to Canada,” Hayley Berg, Hopper’s chief economist, said in the report. “International fares remain higher than pre-pandemic levels to most regions, as higher fuel prices persist and airlines continue to rebuild capacity to many regions.”
How much will a hotel room for the spring and summer cost?
Hotel prices remain mostly flat compared with the same time last year. Rooms in the U.S. are averaging $206 a night; better deals are available in some trending international destinations like Osaka, Japan, and Istanbul, Turkey.
According to Hopper, Las Vegas, New York and Chicago remain popular destinations in the U.S.
Will car rental prices rise this summer?
Car rental prices also haven’t increased much since last year and average $42 a day, according to Hopper.
The report shows most travelers rent a car for about four days, and warm-weather destinations like Orlando and Los Angeles remain popular pickup points.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hopper data shows travel price trends for the spring and summer