KANSAS CITY, Mo — The average flight costs have increased nearly 21% over the second quarter of 2022. But despite this dramatic uptick, 54.6 million people are still expected to travel for Thanksgiving.
Deahne Anderson, a Kansas City area travel agent, says clients have not been happy about the high prices, but demand is up a record 70% at her agency.
“People are still trying to do bucket list trips or memorable family things, because a lot of people didn’t travel and see each other over the holidays these last couple of years,” Anderson said.
Anderson’s biggest advice to travelers are as follows:
- Consider flying out of a different airport
- Drive instead
- Get to your destination early and stay later
- Book directly with the airline
- Book early
“Years ago, closer to departure used to mean savings — it really doesn’t mean that anymore," she said. "Sometimes you might get lucky, but more often than not, especially now, prices just increase the closer to departure you get. The other problem is not only the airfare pricing, but it’s availability."
Anderson says airlines are dealing with field costs, inflation, supply and demand, and trying to regain the billions of dollars in losses from the pandemic. She is curious to see if airlines will ever bring their prices back down.
“If they are still selling the seats, there’s no way to say if they will bring the prices back down and if we just have to adapt to the new higher prices,” Anderson said. “It’s very very hard to predict what the airlines are going to do.”
Anderson is interested to see how, or if, the new KCI terminal will impact airfare. More flights mean less cost.
“The airfare prices are just skyrocketing," said Christine Rogers, who was flying out of KCI. "Trying to get anywhere nowadays seems a little bit ridiculous to the point where I was debating if I wanted to take the eight hour drive down here from Chicago instead of actually taking a flight."
Rogers decided to fly this time, but she says her family of four will be driving to Florida for Christmas. Total airfare is $700 more compared to their last trip.
“I travel for work, I’m an event planner," Anderson said. "So just seeing the money go out kind of takes away from everything else that we need to do for an industry, as well as just home budgeting, and really not making you want to travel and missing those people that you used to see, especially post-pandemic."
Data shows the Rogers are not alone.
According to AAA, more than 1.4 million travelers are expected to travel by bus, train or cruise ship. One thing is for certain: being with family matters during the holidays.
“You have to prioritize and make it, make it happen,” said a business traveler from Denver at KCI. “We’ve been fortunate thus far, but the more that that occurs in all of the various sectors of our lives, it gets painful yeah.”
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