ASPIRING travelers should pack their bags, because flight prices are dipping.
The season for cheaper flights is here as the late summer months bring better pricing.
Rio de Janeiro is cheaper than usual in the later summer months[/caption]
A flight to Sydney could only cost around $300 in September[/caption]
But experts are saying that this year is offering even lower prices than usual.
Nerdwallet, a finance company that tracks pricing in certain sectors, said that not only are flights down in costs, but so are hotels.
The company said in July that hotel rooms were down 3.7% over the past year.
In that same time period, airfares are down 3.5%.
An expert who works at Going, a members-only cheap airfare company, told the New York Times that “now is the time for the reluctant traveler.”
“Especially those who weren’t sure if they could afford an international trip this summer,” Katy Nastro said.
Kayak’s Chief Executive Steve Hafner also doubled down on the pricing fluctuation travel companies are seeing right now.
“Now through the rest of summer is a great time to score a deal on international flights, with prices down over $100 on average.”
One of the cheapest destinations at the moment is Barcelona.
On Skyscanner, a website that helps find cheap flights, travelers can book September direct economy flights from New York to Barcelona for under $140 on specific days.
From Orlando, Florida, to San Jose, Costa Rica, economy flyers can score tickets almost every day in September for under $100.
On some days, tickets are even under $50.
An economy flight from Los Angeles to Sydney could only cost travelers just over $300 on certain September days.
Kayak told the Times that on average, international flights leaving the U.S. are around $875 for a round-trip in economy.
Travel anxiety high as Americans say trips feel unsafe: study
A new study has found a majority of Americans feel “plagued” by nerves and anxiety by the mere thought of international travel.
In the past year, the poll of 2,000 U.S. travelers, conducted by Talker Research, found 94% have traveled domestically, and 28% have traveled internationally.
Fears of traveling abroad have increased for both groups — 30% of domestic travelers feel nervous about international travel, while 20% of travelers with international experience also feel nervous about doing it again.
And while 88% said they already have plans to travel in the next 12 months, four in 10 are starting to get cold feet over their next vacation due to how “unsafe” they think traveling will be.
Travel-related anxieties stemmed from potential travel delays and cancellations (42%), means of travel (40%), current government policies (40%) and current perceptions about American tourists (39%).
Others cited fears over the possibility of getting hurt while traveling (31%), not knowing much about their destination (27%), having traveled to unsafe locations in the past (16%) and having bad past travel experiences (15%).
A secondary study of 1,500 U.S. travelers conducted by AXA Assistance revealed people mostly travel to visit family (34%), go on summer vacations (34%) or escape for weekend getaways (32%).
Nearly all (95%) said safety was undoubtedly important to them. Some shared the more specific reasons safety is front of mind for them while abroad.
“Traveling should be something people can really enjoy and be able to relax. But for many, that’s not always the case,” said Stephen Samataro, chief revenue officer at AXA Assistance.
“The anxieties people feel are justified and reasonable. That’s why safety is so critical for people — people want the reassurance that they can worry less when they’re on vacation and focus more on their adventures.”
That’s down 11% from the last summer.
Riders can score a nonstop economy plane ride from New York to London for specific days in September at $131.
And a flight from Chicago to Rio de Janeiro can be scored for as low as $257 next month.
Despite the large dips, prices fluctuate frequently, so it’s important to book when costs are low.
A 2024 report from Google said that typically, tickets are lowest 21-52 days before a trip on domestic flights.
For international air prices, average costs are lowest 101 days before takeoff.
The report also said that the cheapest days of the week to hop on a plane are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
The most expensive days are the weekend.
And, even if layovers are not preferred, tickets are 25% cheaper than nonstop flights.
The cheapest days to fly are in the beginning of the week[/caption]
Flights are cheaper than this time last year, according to experts[/caption]
