Travel Costs and Booking Tips

As anyone who’s ever tried to book a flight knows, the prices they pay for airfare are anything but consistent. As luck would have it, wanderlusting travelers can now enjoy some very cheap flights both domestically and to Europe. 

To determine which cities in Europe are among the cheapest for Americans to reach right now, the researchers at Going.com looked at metro areas with a population of at least 700,000 people and collected data on how many economy-class deals to those cities the site sent to its Going Premium members in the last year.

The Top 10 cheapest European destinations

Here are the top ten cheapest European destinations from the US. The ranking is based on the volume of deals Going’s analysts found departing U.S. airports.  

1. Paris - $230

2. Dublin - $249

3. Barcelona - $241

4. Milan - $332

5. Rome - $358

6. Madrid - $279

7. Copenhagen - $249

8. Amsterdam - $174

9. Zurich - $365

10. Stockholm - $275

The average fare is pretty good, too. Analysts at the travel booking app Hopper told ConsumerAffairs that its Q3 Consumer Travel Index shows that overall, U.S. to Europe airfares are running, on average: $813 round-trip. For the U.S. to Asia, a round-tri fare averages $1,417. 

“There are several factors contributing to lower domestic airfare prices including lower jet fuel prices, recovered domestic capacity and a return in airline competition,” Hopper’s lead economist, Hayley Berg said.

“International demand has also recovered to pre-pandemic levels – marking a return to an equilibrium following the last three years of COVID-era travel restrictions. Though travelers have looked internationally this summer, Americans' focus will soon shift domestically as the holiday season approaches.”

How does domestic travel look? 

Hopper analysts think that traveling within the U.S. is still the better deal, especially because we’re moving into fall when the kids are back in school and most people have put their vacation plans back in the closet until next summer.

Below are the key findings and what Hopper says consumers can expect for flights, hotels and rental car prices in the coming months:

Flights:

Domestic (U.S.): $257 round-trip, down 11% from 2022 prices and down 10% from 2019

Hotels:

• Hotel prices in the US are averaging $183 per night, up 11% compared to this time in 2022, but down from summer peaks over $100 per night. 

Car Rentals:

• Rental car prices are averaging $45 per day, down 12% from this time last year.

Trending destinations for fall (destinations rising in popularity):

Domestic

1. Melbourne, Florida

2. Manchester, New Hampshire

3. Reno, Nevada

4. Buffalo, New York

5. Charleston, South Carolina

International

1. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

2. Sapporo, Japan

3. Tokyo, Japan

4. Osaka, Japan

5. Taipei, Taiwan

Got your passport?

The federal government has been mum since March regarding its timeline for processing passports, but reading between the lines, the passport agency is full-tilt on remedying the issue.

When ConsumerAffairs looked for an update on the agency's site, it was hosting a large number of special passport acceptance fairs across the United States to help people apply for their passports.

In August and September, about 50 of those fairs are scheduled. Most are one-day events and reservations are required for some. If you need a passport anytime before the holidays, this might be your smartest move short term.

It’s a Friday morning, the weather is starting to finally break, and you decide to jump on an airplane, go somewhere, and celebrate your first chance to shake the winter blues. But where do you go? More importantly, where do you go that’s a good price match for your last-minute jonesing?

Upgraded Points' just published a study analyzing last-minute booking costs for some of the most popular domestic flight routes in the country from the five largest domestic airlines – Spirit, United, American, Southwest, and Delta. The study used data sourced from the Official Airline Guide for the 10 most popular domestic flight routes in America and, for prices, depended on Google Flights as the primary source.

"Last-minute trips are actually pretty common," said Alex Miller, Upgraded Points' founder. "But unfortunately, most airlines charge a premium for not planning well in advance, so it can really cost you if you're not looking in the right places."

Goin’ up to the Spirit in the sky

The airline with the most affordable last-minute flights was Spirit Airlines with an average price of $170.09 across the 10 routes studied. That’s good news for last-minute wander lusters especially in the South and Southwest where the analysts found these great deals:

• Denver International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas: $88.10

• Harry Reid International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport: $101.78

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: $108.88

• Denver International Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: $151.14

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Orlando International Airport: $162.38

• Los Angeles International Airport to O'Hare International Airport: $247.33

Southwest Airlines came in with the second-best single deal on last-minute flights – Los Angeles International Airport to Kahului Airport, at $174.50 a pop. Southwest also had the second-most affordable last-minute fares overall at an average ticket price of $233.72l.

United Airlines: The researchers said travelers could save the most by flying United Airlines on last-minute jaunts from Los Angeles International Airport to San Francisco International Airport, at $146.78, followed closely by New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport, at $189.56. Overall, United Airlines’ average last-minute fares cost $272.80 each.

American Airlines: If you want to fly across the country and you live in New York City, then American Airlines is your go-to for the most affordable last-minute flights. You can get from John F. Kennedy International to Los Angeles International for about $366.60.

Delta Air Lines: The study showed that of the five airlines studied, Delta was the most expensive option to buy a last-minute ticket with an average last-minute ticket price of $369.12.

'Average' is a decent indicator, but what’s important is the 'now' price

Scott Keyes of Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) thinks that in the final analysis, average cost doesn’t really matter.

“We always say the main issue with looking at the average is that it isn’t an accurate representation of what a person actually pays for their flight. You can’t book the average price of a plane ticket—you can only book the available price,” Keyes told ConsumerAffairs.

“Imagine this scenario: You and the guy next to you on the plane are traveling to Europe this summer. You spent $300 roundtrip on your ticket. He paid $900 roundtrip. The average is $600, but neither of you actually spent that much on your ticket. Yours was half the price; that guy just overpaid for his ticket and jacked up the average fare.”

And watch out for the 'hidden' prices

Remember the SNL sketch where the flight attendant told passengers that they’d have to “pay for air” if they didn’t bring their own oxygen tank? Airlines haven’t gone that far, yet, but when ConsumerAffairs was scratching our heads recently over Chicago to Miami fares that ranged from $155-$248 for the same times and same flight, Mary DeSpain, president at Destination CLEs, reminded us that if we would’ve made one or two more clicks for the specific details of the flight, we would’ve found the reason behind that disparity.

“Pricing is influenced by many factors and finding the best deal is often frustrating. For example, the low-cost carriers commonly have extra fees for bags or other inflight services [‘below’ the price listed] while the higher priced fares from airlines may have included those services in the price!” she said.

“The ‘hidden’ costs are the airlines’ way of saying ‘surprise’ with a not-so-pleasant bill at the end of your flight. But as someone once told me, ‘you get what you pay for.’ And maybe those extra charges are worth it if it means not having to fly with chickens in the cabin.”

Flights to popular European destinations are up 29% overall compared to 2022 – and that’s only so far this year. Since summer is the peak travel season for Europe, costs could rise even more from June to August with average airfare running upwards of $1,000.

TravelWeekly says that Europe is proving so popular this year that even upscale travelers who haven't already booked could find themselves behind the 8-ball.

Is there a cure for those summertime blues? Yes. As ConsumerAffairs recently revealed, things like the “Goldilocks Window” and the “Greek Island Trick” can save summer travelers some serious cash if they're willing to work the system. 

But, we wondered what deals we could score if we pushed our European travel plans until fall – when the kids are back in school and flights and destinations are not as packed as they would be in June or July.

In-betweasons: the sweet spot for great fares

According to our sources at KAYAK, the “In-betweasons” – March and April, October and November – are the sweet spot for better fares over the peak time of May through September. KAYAK’s researchers shared data fare prices with ConsumerAffairs that, depending on the U.S.-Europe routes, showed savings of up to 45% if a traveler can wait until the calendar is flipped from September to October.

Examples that KAYAK listed for October vs. this July include Portland Ore., to Dublin Ireland for $576 in October vs. $1,053 in July; Chicago to Madrid for $527 vs. $1,127 in July; and Miami to Lisbon for $510 vs. $1,152 in July.

Oddly enough, the fare prices for some point-to-point destinations within the U.S. can actually go up in the fall, like New York to Austin, Phoenix, New Orleans, and Miami, or Los Angeles to Chicago. 

To give you an idea of the price dynamics from June to October, KAYAK’s researchers sent over these comparisons using New York and Los Angeles for the five most searched destinations both domestically and internationally: 

Europe’s not the only plum

Even though Europe offers the biggest savings, it’s not the only place Americans can go for less. KAYAK said the next three biggest savings destinations are:

• The Caribbean, a mostly winter destination for Americans, offers savings of up to 24% on in-betweason flights compared to peak travel season ($465 vs $610 median prices).
• Africa is where you can save as much as 20% on in-betweason flights to northern destinations ($801 – $1,010 vs $546 – $638 median prices) and up to 25% on flights to southern destinations ($1,068 – $1,339 vs $1,282 – $1,604 median prices).
• South America, where travelers can save up to 19% on in-betweason flights to northern destinations ($482 – $578 vs $546 – $638 median prices) and up to 24% on flights to southern destinations ($591 – $1132 vs $591 – $1,110 median prices).

*Methodology: KAYAK considered searches for flights originating in New York and Los Angeles from 1/1/23 - 3/26/23 for anytime in 2023. The most popular destinations (with the largest volume of searches) were considered, with only one destination per state for domestic travel and one destination per country for international travel. To determine average flight price, KAYAK considered searches 1/1/23 - 3/26/23 for travel during the month of June (6/1/23 - 6/30/23) and the month of October (10/1/23 - 10/31/23). Prices are on average.

Spring Break 2023 will be nothing like what we’ve seen for the past three years. With the pandemic gone, students and families are going all in to recoup what they’ve lost – and they’re not being shy about paying for it.

Travel experts at Hopper told ConsumerAffairs that 60% of travelers expect to spend $500 or more on their trip this year and another 33% plan to spend over $1,000!

Where will a dollar produce the best return? The first thing Hopper’s team said needs to be done is book now if you’re taking a trip in March. If you’re not going until April, then, booking needs to be done no later than the end of February.

How much can you expect to pay this year?

In its new analysis, Spring Break Travel Outlook, Hopper’s team pored through historical data on airfares and hotel prices to determine just how much travelers are going to have to fork over to make Spring Break worthwhile. 

Warm will attract throngs: If you need a break from winter, then you’re going to be part of the throngs in the five most booked destinations: Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Miami. As for the Caribbean, Mexico (warning!) and Central American destinations, Hopper’s team says it's seen a 25% surge in demand. 

The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) says that travelers can expect throngs of people going through U.S. airports, too. The agency advises anyone who’s not big on standing in line that if they enroll in TSA PreCheck, most can expect to wait less than five minutes at TSA checkpoints. 

Flights: Demand has pushed domestic airfare for trips in March and April to $264 per ticket; an increase of 20% compared to 2022. 

Hopper’s analysts shared an inside tip with ConsumerAffairs that booking your getaway to depart on Wednesday can save as much as 33% (or $92 per ticket!) off of peak weekend prices. 

Cars: Car rentals this Spring Break will average $56 per day.

Homes and Hotels: Rental homes in markets like New York City, Atlanta, and Tampa are all averaging under $300 per night. 

Hotels for Spring Break are currently averaging $316 per night, a 64% increase over last year. However, Hopper offered two tips that could save you money:

• Book your hotel at the last minute to save 30% in big cities: “Hotels in large cities have to compete with many other, similar hotels to capture your reservation,” Hopper’s lead economist, Hayley Berg said. However, keep in mind that holding out for a last-minute deal is a gamble. 

• Stay on off-peak days: Hopper analysts say you can save $45 per night on average by checking in on off-peak days like Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. You’ll pay a 25% premium on average to check in over the weekend. 

Should you insure your trip?

With all the weather-related cancelations and meltdowns the travel industry has suffered in the past few months, travel insurance might be something worth considering. However, you need to ask questions and be prepared for if, and, or but scenarios.

Take the Southwest fiasco, for example. Travel insurance experts at Squaremouth said that when it comes to flight delays, “trip delay benefits can reimburse for things like meals, and even a hotel stay, if a traveler is unexpectedly delayed or has a flight canceled, as long as the length of the delay satisfies the policy's requirement.”

They also point out that most travel insurance providers require a delay ranging from three to 12 hours before benefits become eligible, and most policies provide between $500 and $2,000 per traveler.

And baggage delays? The benefit that travel insurance provides is that the traveler “may” be reimbursed for “replacement items” while their luggage is being retrieved – clothing, toiletries, phone chargers, etc.

The wrinkle is that most travel insurance providers require a delay of between 12 and 24 hours, with benefit limits from $250 to $1,000. Squaremouth also noted that baggage delay benefits are sometimes subject to daily limitations, depending on the plan. 

However, if a bag is permanently lost or damaged, there’s a coverage limit, a per-item limit, and a specific item limit. This benefit may not necessarily cover expensive items, such as cameras or jewelry.

As anyone who’s ever tried to find the absolute cheapest airfares knows, it’s darn near impossible.

No matter where you go to search – be it Expedia or Priceline or the airlines themselves – the prices can vary, sometimes wildly. And once you find one and decide to act on it, sometimes you’re surprised with junk fees that could steal, not seal, the deal.

In its 9th annual Airfare Study, CheapAir.com took a look at 917 million flight prices in more than 8,000 markets across the United States to determine the best times to buy domestic airline tickets. Its goal was to provide travelers with all the insights necessary to navigate the myriad of fare search engines and predictors and get the best airfare value.

Start your search months before

If you really want to find the best deal on a domestic fare, the study suggests that you start at least 70 days out, but that the booking window that offers the lowest flight prices is a bit wider at approximately 1.5 to 5.5 months before departure. 

“This is slightly earlier than previous years when travelers could wait up to three weeks before departure and is likely the result of today's high travel demand, staffing shortages, and fluctuating fuel prices. In order to secure the best deals on flights this year, the message is consistent: book early,” the company researchers said.

CheapAir.com's airfare researchers said that other nuances that could give consumers a leg up on a good deal include the following:       

• Wednesday is the cheapest day of the week to fly. The researchers found that flying out on Wednesday could save an average of $100 per airline ticket compared to the most expensive day, Sunday.

• However, there is no best day of the week to buy an airline ticket. Data show that the average low fare varies by less than $1, no matter what day of the week travelers purchase airline tickets.

• Right now is the perfect time to fly because February is the least expensive month to fly with January following closely behind. Flying in February will save travelers approximately $114 compared to flying in December, the most expensive month to fly (followed by July).

• Airfares remain volatile so don’t be surprised if you see a good fare one day and it vanishes the next. “From the time a trip first goes on sale, fares change 49 times on average and change by an average of $43 each time,” the analysts said.

• The summer travel season requires the earliest timeline to take advantage of the lowest flight prices. Winter, excluding peak holidays, is the bargain season to travel with the shortest window to purchase airline tickets than any other season.

Booked your Christmas or New Year’s flights, yet? Get ready to pay dearly. Scott Keyes at Scott’s Cheap Flights says Christmas is the most expensive time to travel. 

“It’s no secret that winter holidays aren’t a cheap time to travel, but December 18 through January 7 is probably the single most expensive three-week period of the entire year,” he told ConsumerAffairs.

“On occasion, there are cheap flights during this stretch, but the best deals—like $252 roundtrip to the Bahamas over Christmas—were available six months ago, not for last-minute purchase.”

Examples? Sure – here’s some that Keyes gave ConsumerAffairs and some we found on our own at Google Flights. Note: these prices were valid at the time of this article being published, but since airfares are based on inventory, things could change quickly.

Seattle to Honolulu: Dec 23-30: $1,078...Jan 16-23: $198

Atlanta to New York City (NYC): Dec 23-30: $271… Jan 15-22: $88

Los Angeles to Boston: Dec 22-29: $889...Jan 11-18: $138

Nashville to Paris: Dec 20-28: $1,913…Jan 18-24: $608

Cincinnati to Phoenix: Dec 22-29: $398…Jan 18-25: $138

NYC to Dublin: Dec 21-28: $1,660...Jan 9-16: $406

Charlotte to San Francisco: Dec 21-28: $399…Jan 17-24: $145

Houston to Cancún: Dec 27-Jan 3: $852...Jan 17-24: $191

Early 2023 will be a lot cheaper

If the price of airfare is a deal breaker, you might want to think about going early in the new year. Just like candy going on sale right after Halloween, Keyes said the same holds true with flights every year after Christmas and New Year, making January and February the cheapest months of the year.

“What makes winter so strange and delightful is the swing—virtually overnight on January 8 or so—from the most expensive three-week period to the two absolute cheapest months of the entire year,” he said, pointing out that pushing your trip back from Christmas time to mid-January could save you as much as 80%.

Another plus for going in early 2023 is that there are significantly more last-minute options.

“Cheap last-minute Christmas flights are oxymoronic. Cheap last-minute January flights are not just real, they’re spectacular,” Keyes said. “And they’re abundant right now. In fact, for procrastinators, there’s probably no better time all year to get a cheap late ticket than for travel in January or February.”

The newest airline ancillary revenue report is out and, boy, oh, boy, are the airlines making bank off of those little ancillary fees.

Adding together fees for baggage, seat selection, and boarding priority along with commissions gained from hotel bookings and the sale of frequent flier miles to partners, those cha-chings are on track to hit $102.8 billion worldwide in 2022, compared to $65.8 billion in 2021.

The report – prepared by CarTrawler, the leading provider of online car rental distribution systems, and IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultant on ancillary revenue, says there’s actually a double benefit of ancillary revenue: one that creates a stable income source for airlines while also contributing to lower fares for consumers. 

“Airlines generate indirect and direct sales, such as buy-on-board meals and more leg room, from ancillary revenue activity. When customers use a co-branded credit card or book car hire at an airline website, this generates indirect revenue. Partners share a portion of the sales generated from these activities with an airline,” Jay Sorensen, president, IdeaWorksCompany, told ConsumerAffairs.

The report claims that airlines have turned to generating ancillary revenue mostly out of competitive necessity, but again suggests that the result has also lowered the overall cost of travel for consumers.

For example, the 2013 global average one-way fare was $306.20, plus optional extras at $9.64, for a combined consumer cost of $315.84. Jumping to 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projected a one-way fare had decreased to $140.69. Adding in all the available optional extras at $17.68, the final total winds up at $158.37 – a 50% inflation-adjusted reduction over ten years.

Airlines still need to make sure the consumer’s business is valued

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has made no bones about its dissatisfaction with certain airlines and how they treat their customers. Recently, the agency wrote $600 million worth of refund checks and fined six airlines for failing to honor their refund obligations.

But with as much value as the ancillary revenue system means to airlines, the study’s analysts say that airlines need to make sure the consumer gets their respect, too.

In Sorensen’s opinion, the very best airline practitioners will create consumer-facing strategies like offering bundles using a “good, better, and best” approach to speed the shopping process, and only describe bundled savings that are legitimate.

That would certainly make the DOT happy – and none too soon. The agency plans on having all of its efforts on fare transparency wrapped up and making a new rule by the first of the year.

That rule – if enacted – would significantly strengthen protections for consumers by ensuring any fees charged to seat a young child with an accompanying adult, change or cancel a flight, or travel with a first checked bag, a second checked bag, or a carry-on bag would be disclosed whenever fare and schedule information is provided for flights to, within, and from the United States. 

Online airfare sellers will have to get in step with the rule, too. The department also wants to require that airlines provide usable, current, and accurate information to ticket agents so that they can display the carrier’s fare and schedule information, as well.

Travel deals for the remainder of 2022 are starting to percolate. But in some situations, it’s get-’em-while-you-can because the window of opportunity may close quickly. Here’s a compilation of the best offers and suggestions ConsumerAffairs found for anyone thinking about going somewhere.

Is this your last chance to save on airfares?

For holiday travelers, time is ticking! So say the folks at Hopper, the airfare booking app. If you don’t book by October 20, Hopper says airfares could surge as the number of available seats starts to shrink. 

According to Hopper’s Last Chance to Save Report, this holiday season is shaping up to be an expensive one – with Christmas airfares up higher than in the past five years and Thanksgiving prices expected to peak well over $450 at the last minute.

Holiday airfares have dropped in recent weeks. However, these deals won’t last long. Hopper’s experts say mid-October is the sweet spot to book holiday travel – while prices are low and deals are still available to many top destinations. 

How are holiday prices trending? Hopper shared these insights with ConsumerAffairs.

• Thanksgiving: Domestic airfare for Thanksgiving is currently averaging $290 round-trip, in line with 2019 prices but up 24% compared to last year. 
  
  Airfare will rise $10 per day from the end of October through Thanksgiving; peaking at over $450 for last-minute tickets. 
• Christmas: Domestic airfare for Christmas is averaging $430 round-trip this week, up 17% compared to 2019 and 53% higher than last year. 
  
  Flight prices will rise slowly into November, before spiking $10 per day from mid-November until the holiday; peaking at over $580 for last-minute airfare.

Don’t snooze on cruise deals

For travelers who want a break from fall and winter’s impending cold, they could give themselves their own holiday gift with a short 2-, 3-, or 4-night cruise that’s priced to go.

Such is especially true at Royal Caribbean which was recently pushing out $89 per person fares for the first two weeks of November and December. And, by all accounts, time really is of the essence if you want a cruise before 2023 kicks in. 

The key element in finding a hard-to-believe cruise fare is pouncing on it when cruises pass their final payment date, which is 90 days prior to sailing.

“When Royal Caribbean gets past the point of final payment, they get a good sense of how booked (or unbooked) a sailing is and responds accordingly to fill up the rest of the ship,” wrote cruise blogger Matt Hochberg.

When ConsumerAffairs looked at some of Royal Caribbean’s peer cruise lines, others were holding flash sales too, and at hard-to-pass-up rates for the remainder of the year. For example, we saw deep price cuts at Celebrity (save up to 75% + free drinks, and Wi-Fi) and Norwegian ($82 a night with an open bar). 

Airbnb vs. hotels

Given that lodging can consume over 20% of your budget, deciding on a hotel or an Airbnb rental could be a prime factor. Studies by both UpgradedPoints and Price4Limo give the edge to Airbnb.

Airbnb seems to have the U.S. advantage in the UpgradedPoints study and a considerable amount of the foreign advantage in the Price4Limo study. There are a few overseas differences where hotels have a slight advantage in the savings department – primarily in Asia and Australia, but hotels in Dublin and Madrid also have the savings edge for travelers going to Europe. 

The Price4Limo analysts said that renting a whole house can be a particularly good bargain if a family is going on vacation together. One case-in-point they made was San Francisco, where renting an entire house via Airbnb is only 5.4% more expensive than the average San Francisco Airbnb listing (inclusive of entire homes, single rooms, hotel listing, etc). 

Rental car situation improving – and may be a better deal than flying

Time is of the essence in finding a good deal on rental cars, too. Ludwig Schoenack, co-founder of Kyte – a company that hand-delivers rental cars across the U.S. -- including to college campuses – told ConsumerAffairs that most rental car companies have early bird offers customers can take advantage of as soon as they know what their holiday travel plans are.

“Prices usually hike the closer your travel dates are. When it comes to the holidays, it’s best to plan in early fall,” Schoenack said.

One suggestion Schoenack made that travelers might not consider, but could save them some extra dough, is by opting out of the insurance add-on.

“Insurance is an important step and a product of one's own risk appetite, but make sure you’re not duplicating coverage if you are covered already. This is a common mistake that travelers make,” he added.

One thing that many consumers might not weigh out is renting a car or hopping on an airplane to use as their vacation mode of transportation.

“Flights are best when you’re traveling to a city where you don’t need a car upon arrival – but more often than not, a car on the ground can help make travel more seamless, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the landscape, even in dense cities,” Schoenack said. 

He made another point about travelers who like to explore. Cars come in especially handy because they provide flexibility during a trip, like if someone wants to stop at a certain park or attraction between their starting point and destination.

A car rental might also have a plus for college students who Mom and Dad want home for the holidays. For example, students who go to school in the Boston area and want to travel to Sarasota where the family is gathering for Thanksgiving are faced with airfare that’s nearly $300 more the two days before Thanksgiving Thursday.

Comparatively, renting a car could be a much better deal especially if there are a couple of other students who are headed in the same direction and willing to split the cost. 

The growing value of the US dollar vs. the Euro

Since 2002, the U.S. dollar hasn’t performed well against the euro, but it’s got the euro beat, albeit slightly, for now.

At publication, a dollar was worth $1.03 against the euro – essentially an incredibly easy way to calculate tit for tat, dollar vs.euro.

“With the strong dollar to the euro exchange, Americans will see a nearly 15% discount on purchases compared to the same time last year,” said ThePointsGuy’s Melissa Klurman. 

“That means once you arrive in Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, or any other city in the 19-country European Union, you’ll be able to make purchases without running conversion charts in your head or worrying about the built-in markup on everything.”

Fly “anywhere” and save big

There's a little-known Google Flights feature that is a mighty tool for people who are looking for a great deal to go just somewhere where they may have never been.

In Google Flights' "Explore" mode, you can pick your choice of departure city and when you’d like to go (i.e. a 1-week trip in the next 6 months), then let Google Flights do its thing and find you ultra-low fares as you scroll from one continent to another.

For example, flying out of Nashville to go “somewhere/anywhere” in the next six months, there were roundtrip fares to Lisbon for $536, London for $675, Maui for $475, and Seattle for $175.

Moving west, ConsumerAffairs discovered that people in Denver can go to Machu Picchu for $577, Miami for $77, Paris for $544, and Sydney for $1,022 – with that trip down under half the price it would be if you were going the first of November.

Remember: a deal isn't always a deal

As you hunt down travel deals, keep in mind that there are hidden fees and fine print that may come out to bite you at the end of the process. 

Airlines: The White House is on the case about fee transparency with airlines, but nothing has officially changed yet. Until every single fare is mandated to be clear as a bell, make sure you understand what fares are refundable, what you'll pay for seats, bags, position in the boarding line, etc.

Hotels and vacation rentals: Hotels may try to slap on "resort fees" so when you're booking online, scour each page you click on because, as Forbes found out in a recent perspective on how Expedia worked hotel fees, prices you see upfront might not be the price you pay at the end. Another smart move if you see a good room rate, is to call the hotel and ask if there will be any fees added when you check out.

One recent concern that arose was from travelers who voiced their displeasure with Airbnb policies that prevented them from canceling their reservations in Florida during Hurricane Ian, so take some extra time to pore through all of both Airbnb's and Vrbo's policies on situations like that so you don't get surprised.

To its credit, an Airbnb spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs that the company's site now has a search filter specifically for listings with flexible cancellation policies. "Guests who booked listings with these types of policies can cancel via that policy and get a full refund," the spokesperson said.

Car rentals: Rentalcars.com warns that rental car companies are notorious for hard sells and pulling tricks. Make sure you fully understand how all of those -- fuel policies, mileage limits, insurance -- will impact your billfold.

The bottom line?

The bottom line is that a "deal" isn't always a "deal." Yes, it's a pain, but read the fine print, look for text that's smaller than other text on a page and in a lighter color, make calls, use a service's online chat system, whatever you can do to make sure you fully understand all that's going to be charged to your credit card.

And keep a record of emails, chats, receipts, and whatever documentation you can lay your hands on because if there's ever a question, you'll have some proof to support your claim.

Memorial Day weekend is within reach. If you're itching to get out of town, there are plenty of good airfares available to consumers – especially when you consider the rising price of gas.

SkyScanner reports that the best day to depart for domestic U.S. trips is Saturday, May 28; the cheapest day to depart for international travel is Friday the 27th. Of the top 10 most popular airports to depart from, travelers departing from Las Vegas are getting the best deals, with the average price of a domestic Memorial Day Weekend trip costing $164.

Orlando is the number one destination booked for families and groups, while New York, Las Vegas, and Cancun take the first, second, and third spots for individuals and couples who want to travel. 

Consumers can find deals on some trips

The best average fares over the last month in the U.S. for Memorial Day travel include flights going to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, and Tampa. The inverse is true for travelers leaving from Fort Lauderdale. On average, they get the best deals nationwide, with the average price of a ticket purchased over the last month costing $169 (direct, return).

“Savvy travelers are looking to enjoy the first Memorial Day Weekend in two years which will feel mostly normal, including for travel,” said Skyscanner's Mark Crossey.

Things are looking good for travelers who don’t mind a bit of jet lag and would like to see a bit of Europe.

“Of course, the domestic US features heavily in bookings for Memorial Day but we can see international favorites like London and Paris featuring higher in the top booked destinations this year as Americans venture over the pond in large numbers again," Crossey said. 

Consumers who give themselves a little breathing room for their return trip are also getting a better price over Memorial Day weekend. ConsumerAffairs found that travelers who choose to come back on Tuesday instead of Sunday or Monday could save $40 on a trip from Cincinnati to Denver and $30 on a trip from Chicago to Memphis.

At a time when travelers are being asked to pay for almost anything an airline can turn into ancillary revenue, Hawaiian Airlines is taking a step in the other direction.

On Monday, the airline announced that it’s struck an agreement with Starlink – the satellite internet company operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX – to provide complimentary broadband internet access to all guests onboard several of its aircraft that fly between the Hawaiian Islands and the continental U.S, Asia, Australia, and other countries. 

Timing is everything, and Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram said the time had come to make internet access free.

“We waited until technology caught up with our high standards for guest experience, but it will be worth the wait,” Ingram said.

Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX's Vice President of Starlink Commerical Sales, echoed Ingram's statement and said his company is ready to provide a premium service to consumers flying with Hawaiian Airlines.

“Hawaiian Airlines is ensuring its passengers will experience high-speed internet the way we expect it in the 21st century, making hassles like downloading movies before takeoff a relic of the past,” he said.

According to the announcement, the experience will be as simple as anyone could make it. Hofeller said passengers will be able to access the internet “seamlessly.” the moment they step onboard a plane.

Airlines put their best foot forward

Pent-up demand for travel is picking up now that some of the concerns linked to the COVID-19 pandemic have started to subside, and airlines have been bulking up their customer service to impress returning travelers as best they can.

When it comes to “value spent,” travel analysts recently found that Hawaiian Airlines offers the most rewards value. American Airlines is stepping up its own game by promising reliability. Southwest has also rolled out new fares, and Delta changed its rewards program to make it easier to gain elite status.

Angelina, from Sparks, Nevada, recently gave Hawaiian Airlines her vote of confidence based on a flight she took with her husband in January.

“We had the best experience in checking in. Everyone at the counter were very helpful and friendly. It’s been one of the best travel experience[s] we had. Cabin crews were also very friendly,” she wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review.

To read more reviews about the carrier, visit the company's ConsumerAffairs profile page here.

While U.S. airlines try to get the White House to lift its mask mandate for travelers, Southwest Airlines has decided to adjust its flight prices. With the weather turning warm and people wanting to break out of the winter doldrums, the low-cost airline – and traveler favorite – has announced a new fare that offers some new twists and might force other airlines to play catch-up.

The biggest benefits in Southwest’s new fare – Wanna Get Away Plus – include allowing customers to make a one-time transfer of eligible unused flight credit to a new traveler for future use, adding options for same-day confirmed change/same-day standby, and providing eight times more Rapid Rewards points.

To raise the bar even further, Southwest is giving its other fares some added advantages too. For example, Anytime fares will gain EarlyBird Check-In, Priority Lane, and Express Lane benefits. Tier Members (A-List /A-List Preferred Customers) will also now receive same-day confirmed change in addition to same-day standby.

“All of our competitors – and I mean all – went down the path of stripping away features [during the pandemic], and then, spun them back,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “We’re not taking anything away.”

The new fares will become available sometime in late Spring 2022.

Airfares continue going up

The golden age of low fares that travelers have had their pick of over the last year or so is not over, but airfare prices are likely going up, says Scott Keyes of Scott’s Cheap Flights. Keyes predicts that average fares will rise at least 10%, but he told ConsumerAffairs that it will have little bearing on what you’ll pay for your next flight.

What does that mean? Keyes said if you look at flight prices now compared to the past 10 years, a modest 10% upswing will barely be felt. Airfares are currently up 12% over the past two years, but they’re down 40% over the past ten years.

Keyes notes that "average” fares are only interesting from an academic perspective and that they tell the consumer absolutely nothing about what they should expect to pay for their next flight.

“October is cheaper on average, but who cares? September is cheaper for what you would actually pay. This is the first problem with average fares: when the person sitting next to you overpaid for their ticket, that pushes up the average fare but doesn’t change anything about what you paid.

“That’s because of one immutable fact: you can't book average fares. You can only book *available* fares. The question is less ‘are average fares going up or down?’ and more ‘are cheap flights still popping up?’” Keyes said.

If you’re looking for deals on a vacation anytime between March 7 and March 21, there are plenty to be had.

According to the travel booking app Hopper and its 2022 Spring Break Travel Report, domestic airfare costs for Spring Break are down 6% and international flights costs are 14% lower than pre-pandemic 2019. However, the site says those fares won't last for long.

In fact, prices could go up by 45% between now and the week before Spring Break if consumers don't act soon.

Where are people going?

If you want to visit a popular destination, here are some idea starters for places that airlines have good fares for:

Most Booked Destinations - Domestic (Round-Trip)

• Miami, FL - $193

• Las Vegas, NV - $252

• Orlando, FL - $222

• Ft. Lauderdale, FL - $190

• Los Angeles, CA - $229

Most Booked Destinations - International (Round-Trip)

• San Juan, Puerto Rico - $275

• Cancun, Mexico - $320

• Mexico City, Mexico - $346

• Cabo, Mexico - $373

• Paris, France - $537

Hopper also cited some of the best deals that it says are available on its app. Here are some of the domestic and international options.

Domestic (Round-Trip):

• San Jose, CA ($262/round-trip, -14% from last week)

• Asheville, NC ($251/round-trip, -12% from last week)

• Portland, ME ($280/round-trip, -10% from last week)

• Milwaukee, WI ($270/round-trip, -7% from last week)

• Myrtle Beach, SC ($239/round-trip, -6% from last week)

International (Round-Trip)

• Geneva, Switzerland ($544/round-trip, -13% from last week)

• Buenos Aires, Argentina ($882/round-trip, -12% from last week)

• Munich, Germany ($588/round-trip, -10% from last week)

• Milan, Italy ($618/round-trip, -10% from last week)

• Frankfurt, Germany ($578/round-trip, -9% from last week)

Travel prices follow supply and demand

When it comes to hotels, travelers should expect to pay about $165 per night, up 8% from February.

As far as rental car prices are concerned, travelers should expect to pay around $70 per day for a rental car. That's pretty much the same as Spring Break in 2021, and it should stay the same through mid-March. 

Travel prices are almost always a matter of supply and demand, so it would be a smart move to book domestic flights at least 3 weeks in advance. For international flights, book at least 3-4 weeks in advance so you can avoid high-priced last-minute fares. 

Hopper suggests booking hotels 1-2 weeks in advance if you're traveling to bigger cities like New York or Chicago. However, there are still deals to be had in big cities that have a lot of inventory of hotel rooms. 

While the travel industry is trying to get the White House to relax some of its travel requirements regarding vaccinations, nothing has changed yet. Masks on flights are still required, and passengers will need to be on their best behavior to avoid fines from the FAA.

Inflation may be creeping in on almost everything a consumer buys, but a new analysis of departure cities shows that travelers who are willing to shift their plans a bit can still find a good deal.

While airfares plunged when travelers decided to stay close to home during the pandemic, a new study from ValuePenguin reveals that fares remain low at 98% of the U.S.’ largest airports. 

Where the deals are

In the researcher’s estimation, the two airports with the steepest price cuts are Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Pensacola International Airport in Florida. Flying out of either airport costs 30% less than it did before the pandemic.

To confirm that, ConsumerAffairs did a price comparison of its own by using Newark to Tampa vs. New York’s LaGuardia to Tampa. The results show that ValuePenguin is spot on. A flight from Newark to Tampa on Spirit could be had for $58 roundtrip, while flying out of LaGuardia was a smidge more expensive at $62. The difference in fares starts to widen a bit for flights that go further west to, say, San Francisco or San Diego.

As for flying out of Pensacola, ConsumerAffairs found decent airfares of $264 round trip to Boston, $134 to Dallas/Ft. Worth, and $220 round trip to Salt Lake City.

However, there are two things ConsumerAffairs discovered that might not make those seemingly great fares all that good. The first is the length of flights since cheaper fares often required more stops and layovers. The second is baggage and seat selection; adding those options makes fares rise incrementally.

This could change

Sophia Mendel, a ValuePenguin credit cards and travel rewards writer, suggests that these fares might be good at the moment. However, as mask restrictions ease and the Omicron variant starts a downward turn, more people will likely return to the skies and prices will go back up. Unfortunately, those prices will likely keep rising for the remainder of 2022.

"Fully vaccinated and boosted travelers who take the necessary precautions tend to feel that the risk of contracting COVID-19 while traveling is lower, and are therefore more comfortable flying," Mendel said.

Mendel pointed out that two markets are already above pre-pandemic prices – Hawaii’s Kahului and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Keahole. Other airports are starting to move quickly towards 2019 fares, including New Mexico's Albuquerque International Sunport, Wisconsin's Dane County Regional, and New York's Greater Rochester International.

Uber and Lyft fares rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re still high, with riders paying more for trips than before March 2020.

That’s because ridesharing companies adjust their fares based on supply and demand. When there are more drivers than riders, fares go down. But since the pandemic shut down the economy, there has been a big drop in people driving for either Uber or Lyft.

Both ridesharing companies expected drivers to return in droves when elevated unemployment benefits ran out, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the return of drivers is happening more slowly than either company expected.

A spokesman for Uber told the Journal that there were more drivers on the road than at any time during the pandemic by the end of October. The problem is that there were also more customers.

“Now there are so many people that want to go out and do things,” Lyft President John Zimmer said in September in a talk on Clubhouse, noting that in many cities, there still aren’t enough drivers.

Lyft still expects the balance between drivers and riders to return at some point, but the company declined to predict just when that might happen.

Hard to lure some drivers back

The Journal report suggests that the ridesharing companies may face challenges in getting drivers back behind the wheel. It cites the case of Harry Thomas, who had been driving for Uber at night for more than three years when the pandemic struck. During the lockdown, he began delivering groceries during the day and told the Journal that he prefers that routine. He’s even applying for full-time jobs.

Industry analysts say driver earnings went down during the late spring and summer in states that ended enhanced unemployment benefits early compared with states that didn’t. But with the current imbalance between drivers and riders, drivers have earned more since the end of the summer. That’s because consumers using the services are paying more.

Genie, of Erdenheim, Pa., tells us she’s paying more than expected for her Uber rides.

“I was quoted $55.23 to go to airport,” Genie wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “The driver arrived 10 minutes early. Easy drive to airport. Charged $68.97.”

While most taxi companies aren’t affected by supply and demand, Lifewire recently noted that the structure of cab fares usually results in a more expensive ride to the airport than if you took Uber or Lyft.

Consumer uproar over ancillary hotel fees is finally getting heard. MCR Hotels -- the fourth-largest hotel owner-operator in the U.S. -- is testing a new angle on prices and fees. 

Instead of lumping every amenity together under one price, the company is planning to only charge guests for the services and amenities that they want to pay for. The idea mirrors what the airline industry does by charging for extra legroom, meals, Wi-Fi, and baggage. 

Tyler Morse, chief executive of MCR Hotels, told the Wall Street Journal that the concept is being tested at roughly a dozen of his company’s independent hotels. He laid out some of the add-ons like this: 

If a guest wants to check in earlier or check out later, they can do so for a $20 fee. For things like the pool, the pricing varies depending on the day. On Tuesday, when there are fewer guests, using the pool might be free. But if they want to use it on the weekend when there are more people, it might cost them as much as $25. Breakfast and workout facilities are also available for an upcharge. 

As part of MCR’s beta test, the properties are also adjusting room rates lower to give the notion of some additional balance. 

Warming travelers up to the idea

MCR is taking this innovation in baby steps. Morse senses that it may take a while for guests to warm up to the a la carte pricing, but he feels good about its chances.

“Not every guest wants every product, and they don’t want to pay for something they were never going to use anyway,” he said. “Other owners are fully behind me, but there’s always a fear of change.”

Morse is also aware that MCR’s previous resort fee structure may have been a turnoff -- one so big that some guests swore off MCR properties completely. But when comparing the old and new pricing model, Morse said his hotel staff reports that customer complaints related to a la carte pricing are lower.

Hotel prices are rising

There’s little doubt that the Wyndhams, Marriotts, Hiltons, and Hyatts of the world are watching what MCR is doing and taking notes, but whether or not they’re ready to implement a similar system remains to be seen.

On top of the fee shakeout, travelers should be aware that the cost of staying at a hotel in the U.S. is not only going up, but it’s hitting a record high. HospitalityNet reports that the average daily rate for a hotel was $142 headed into August, the highest ever on a nominal basis.

If you hailed a ride home from Uber on New Year's Eve after a night of intense celebrating, good for you. You helped make the roads safer for everyone.

But if you are a bit taken aback by what the fare turned out to be, you shouldn't have been surprised. The ride-sharing platform employs what is known as “surge pricing,” meaning the price will go up when there is a surge in demand, such as a holiday.

While no one wants to pay more than necessary, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have concluded that surge pricing is actually an efficient system that benefits everyone, both consumers and drivers.

Kaitlin Daniels, assistant professor of operations and manufacturing management at Washington's Olin School of Business says Uber provides an interesting case study in how a business uses prices that go up and down with demand.

“Since drivers decide for themselves when they drive, price in this setting influences not only the firm’s margin but also the number of drivers out on the road serving customers,” she said.

How consumers can benefit

It may seem counter-intuitive, but Daniels and her colleagues say consumers can actually benefit from surge pricing. If demand for rides is not being met by a traditional taxi service, they say surge pricing will encourage more ride-sharing drivers to hit the road, increasing what ordinarily would be a limited supply. You might pay a little more for your ride, but at least you'd have a ride.

“Because taxis charge fares that are independent of demand for rides, they experience one of two possible inefficiencies,” Daniels said. “Either taxis fail to satisfy peak demand, or many taxis idle during times of normal demand. Drivers can only tolerate so much idleness because they are paid per ride, so in many cases taxis opt for the former inefficiency over the latter.”

Airfares also rise and fall with demand

Airlines have long employed surge pricing in setting their fares. Fares for travel during peak demand season, such as the holidays, cost more than during off-peak times.

Booking several weeks in advance usually provides a lower fare than booking a few days before departure, when prices for the few remaining seats surge higher. While that's largely a product of the nature of the business – once a flight takes off no more seats can be sold – Daniels says surge pricing in the ride-sharing industry can actually expand supply.

“In this case, surge pricing allows service to expand during peak demand without creating idleness for drivers during normal demand,” she said.

That means everyone gets a ride, even if they have to pay more for it. Daniels says it also means during non-peak times, riders will pay less. The net effect is regular Uber riders will likely come out ahead, even if you pay more for a lift home on New Year's Eve.

If you plan on flying anywhere for the Thanksgiving holiday, this might be a good time to book your flight.

Travelocity's Thanksgiving data show that the average round-trip domestic airfare this year is $415, including tax -- up nearly 7% from 2012. The online travel agency calls this the “price to beat” and recommends using it as a gauge while shopping for airfare. In a bit of good news for some travelers, Travelocity says a closer look at the most popular routes shows many prices are well under that average.

"While average airfare is up for Thanksgiving we are still seeing some of the most popular routes well under the national average," explains Courtney Scott, senior editor at Travelocity. "So if $415 is out of your price range, don't assume you can't make it home for the holidays. Check your route, be flexible on your dates and you can still find a great deal."

Getting there and paying for it

Most popular domestic routes for Thanksgiving:

What to do

Travelocity offers these tips for holiday travel:

• Book between October 8 through November 9. Travelocity's Booking Barometer says prices for Thanksgiving begin to drop during this time, and will pick back up at a steep increase beginning the week of November 10.
• Be flexible on your travel dates. Look at returning on Friday, November 29, or Tuesday, December 3, for lower fares. Returning over the weekend will most surely cost you more.
• Search alternate airports. For example, New York City is always one of the most popular holiday destinations. While LaGuardia might be the closest airport to your turkey dinner, flying instead into JFK or Newark may be worth the extra effort and could translate into big savings.
• Take the first flight of the day. Not only will the lines at security be shorter, but planes traveling earlier in the day have a better on-time performance in general. And, if your flight is canceled, you'll have the option of taking a flight later in the day.
• Pack smart and light. Look at shipping any gifts ahead of time, and try to pack only a carry on. This can help you avoid checked baggage and overweight baggage fees. In addition, if your flight is re-routed because of bad weather or delays, it'll be much easier if your luggage is with you. If you do check, don't put anything in your luggage you can't live without -- like medication, cell phone chargers or your child's favorite toy.

From all indications, an improving economy will prompt more people to travel this summer. That means more competition for the best seats and the best fares.

Consumers who want to save money will have to be more creative and perhaps work a little harder. That means building travel plans around the cheapest days and times to fly.

It's no secret that Tuesday afternoon is the cheapest time to fly, for some reason. Wednesday and Saturday are also cheap days. If you can plan to come and go on those days, you have a better chance of flying for less.

Fly into large airports

Flights to bigger airports are generally cheaper than flying to a smaller airport. If the airline you are using has a hub at the airport, so much the better. It will often be cost effective to fly to a major city and rent a car to drive to your final destination, especially if you had planned to rent a car anyway.

Most of us prefer a direct flight to our destination but non-stops are becoming a very rare thing these days. Opting for a flight that makes a couple of stops, even traveling hundreds of miles out of your way, can save money.

Most of the time it will pay to book as far in advance as possible. But sometimes the price will drop as the departure date approaches. Discount travel site Hotwire.com recently launched TripWatcher.com, a new stand-alone site offering real-time alerts for airfare price drops. It covers thousands of flight routes in the U.S. every day. A tool like that can help you stay on top of unadvertised deals.

Trip Watcher

"We've all experienced it, we look and look for low fares and the day we decide to take a rest, we hear about a lower-priced ticket after it's already gone, said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group.

"So a couple of years ago, Hotwire developed the Trip Watcher tool to alleviate some of the guess work from getting a great deal," "The tool quickly gained popularity, and we realized it was an increasingly valuable resource, which is why we decided to launch Trip Watcher as a separate, more sophisticated, flexible and fast-performing site."

In a trend being adopted by a growing number of businesses, a consumer can be notified of the deal through social media, such as Twitter or Facebook, as well as traditional email.

One of the reasons low fares are harder to find is the shrinking capacity of domestic airlines. When carriers struggled financially during the last decade, one response was to eliminate flights.

Advantage, airlines

That move helped control costs and it further shifted the supply and demand equation in favor of the airlines. Now, passengers have fewer flights to choose from and must compete for empty seats on the flights that remain. That returns a lot of the pricing power to the airlines.

Because they are selling fewer seats, however, the airlines have had to look for new ways to be profitable. Over the last few years they've helped their bottom lines by adding fees for checked bags and other courtesies that were provided at no charge in the past.

In spite of that consumers seem to have come to terms with fewer flights, crowded cabins and numerous fees. J.D. Power & Associates reports customer satisfaction with airlines has reached its highest level since 2006.

The study looks at passenger satisfaction with North American airlines based on performance in seven factors: cost & fees; in-flight services; boarding/deplaning/baggage; flight crew; aircraft; check-in; and reservation.

Less dissatisfaction with fees

Costs and fees continue to be the biggest source of passenger dissatisfaction, according to the study. But the dissatisfaction appeared to be less this year than last.

"Charging for bags still has a pronounced negative impact on passenger satisfaction, but with each year, passengers are increasingly more accepting of carriers unbundling baggage and other fees," said Ramez Faza, senior manager of the travel practice at J.D. Power & Associates.

So where is the increase in satisfaction with airlines coming from? Maybe from technology. Thirty-six percent of passengers check in to their flights online, and 15 percent use a mobile device—more than double the six percent who used mobile devices two years ago.

The addition of Wi-Fi on more flights is also enhancing the passenger experience. Overall satisfaction among passengers who use Wi-Fi during their flight is 39 points higher than among those who don't use it.

Frontier Airlines says it wants to improve its service and "further reduce fares" so it's imposing a charge of up to $100 for carry-on baggage and slapping a $2 charge on coffee and soft drinks.

How does this improve service?

As Frontier tells it, its regular customers have been grousing about how crowded the overhead bins are, so it's imposing the charge for passengers who don't book through the carrier's website, FlyFrontier.com. Frontier says it will also "guarantee that customers will get the best value" by booking online at its site.

"Frontier’s most loyal customers have made it very clear that finding overhead bin space for carry-on bags has become unacceptably difficult," the airline said in a news release. "In response, Frontier will be introducing a charge for carry-on bags for customers buying basic fares through third party sites. All tickets sold at FlyFrontier.com include a carry-on bag with the fare."

The change will take effect this summer, although a firm date has not been set.

“With this change, we are ensuring that our most loyal customers will have more space onboard the aircraft for their carry-on bags,” said David Siegel, Frontier’s CEO. “As we unbundle our product further, we ensure those customers who want the absolute lowest fares can always find them at FlyFrontier.com.”     

Once the change has been implemented, Frontier bag fees will be:

"Ultra Low Cost"

As Frontier tells it, the changes are part of its "transformation into an Ultra Low Cost Carrier."  

Another change is new charges for drinks. Effective July 1, 2013, customers who purchase economy or basic fares will be charged $1.99 for coffee, tea, soda and juice. 

Ah, yes, but for that $1.99, customers will get a full can of soda or juice and customers choosing coffee will be offered free refills, Frontier said.

“Frontier continues to make it easier for customers flying with Frontier to pay only for the services they use, which allows us to continue lowering fares,” said Daniel Shurz, Frontier’s senior vice president, commercial.

Unbundled fares

Spirit Air has pioneered the practice known as "unbundling" fares, charging a low price for a basic ticket while selling everything else on an a la carte basis. There may be some passengers who like it but there are quite a few others who say they wind up paying a lot more than they expect.

"Current FAA regulations stipulate that an airline must divulge, upfront, the final cost of the ticket. Contrary to that stipulation, Frontier does everything humanly possible to hide their pricing while 'nickel and diming' the customer over every single aspect of the flight. I would hitchhike across America before I will ever consider flying Frontier again," said Elizabeth of Denver in a recent ConsumerAffairs posting.

If you flew anywhere last summer, you were probably paying more than you did the year before.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), average domestic air fares stood at $367 in the third quarter of 2012 -- up 1.8 percent from the average fare of $361 in the third quarter of 2011. Huntsville, Ala., had the highest average fare, $522, while Atlantic City, N.J., had the lowest, $133.

Not adjusted for inflation, the $367 third-quarter 2012 average fare is the fifth-highest average fare for any quarter since BTS began collecting air fare records in 1995. The highest was $385 in the second quarter of 2012. The previous third-quarter high was $361 in 2011. Third-quarter 2012 fares were $243 in 1995 dollars, down 18.1 percent from the average fare of $297 in 2000, the inflation-adjusted high for any third quarter.

Shrinking percentage

Passenger airlines collected 71.2 percent of their total revenue from passenger fares during the third quarter of 2012, down from 1990 when 87.6 percent of airline revenue was received from fares.

Unadjusted third-quarter fares increased 9.0 percent from the third quarter of 2000 to the third quarter of 2012. During those 12 years, inflation-adjusted fares declined 18.1 percent while there was an overall increase in consumer prices of 33.2 percent.

In the 17 years from 1995, unadjusted air fares rose 27.7 percent compared to a 15.5 percent decline in inflation-adjusted fares and a 51.0 percent increase in consumer prices.

Unadjusted third-quarter 2012 fares were up 19.6 percent from the recession low of $307 in 2009.

BTS reports average fares based on domestic itinerary fares, which consist of round-trip fares unless the customer does not purchase a return trip. In that case, the one-way fare is included. Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase.

Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees, such as baggage fees, paid at the airport or on board the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or abnormally high reported fares.  

If you do a lot of traveling by air, you already know this: the cost of flying is on the rise 

Average domestic air fares rose to $373 in the first quarter -- up 4.8 percent from the average fare of $356 in the first quarter of 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). 

Cincinnati had the highest average fare -- $526, while Atlantic City, NJ, had the lowest at $157. 

Record-high fares 

Not adjusted for inflation, the $373 first-quarter 2012 average fares reached an all-time high for any quarter. The previous high was $370 in the second quarter of 2011. The previous first-quarter high was $356 in 2011. 

First-quarter 2012 fares were $246 in 1995 dollars, down 19.2 percent from $304 in 1999, the inflation-adjusted high for any first quarter since the beginning of BTS air fare records in 1995.  

Figuring fares 

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reports average fares based on domestic itinerary fares. Itinerary fares consist of round-trip fares unless the customer does not purchase a return trip. In that case, the one-way fare is included. 

Fares are based on the total ticket value, which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees, such as baggage fees, paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft. 

Averages do not include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares. 

Passenger airlines collected 69.5 percent of their total revenue from passenger fares during the first quarter of 2012, down from 87.6 percent in 1990. 

Historical record 

Air fares in the first quarter of 2012 increased 9.6 percent from the first quarter of 2000, not adjusted for inflation, compared with an overall increase in consumer prices of 34.0 percent during that period. 

In the 17 years from 1995, the first year of BTS air fare records, air fares rose 25.6 percent compared to a 51.5 percent inflation rate. The average inflation-adjusted first-quarter 2012 fare in 1995 dollars was $246 compared to $297 in 1995 and $301 in 2000.

It continues to cost more to fly to your destination, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Average domestic air fares rose to $368 in the fourth quarter of 2011, up 10 percent from the average fare of $335 in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Cincinnati had the highest average fare, $502, while Atlantic City, NJ, had the lowest, $189.

Fourth-quarter fares were 2.1 percent higher than the third quarter. Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees, such as baggage fees, paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft.

The government reports average fares based on domestic itinerary fares. Itinerary fares consist of round-trip fares unless the customer does not purchase a return trip. In that case, the one-way fare is included.

Doesn't count fees

Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or "zero fares" or a few abnormally high reported fares.

While air fares went up 10 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010 to 2011, the cost of driving went up much less. Gasoline prices increased about seven percent during the same time period.

And despite the increase in fares, the New York Times notes that it is getting harder to gets from Point A to Point B, as airlines continue to cut back on flights, especially to smaller cities. The Times notes that direct flights between cities are getting harder to find, with many destinations requiring multiple stops and plane changes.

Southwest continues to lead

In January of this year, BTS reports that Southwest Airlines carried more total system and domestic passengers than any other U.S. airline. United Airlines, following its merger with Continental Airlines, carried the most international passengers.

The report also shows the effects of continued consolidation in the airline industry, as carriers merge. The top 10 US airlines carried 79.7 percent of system-wide passengers, an increase from the 71.9 percent in January 2011.  

Average domestic air fares rose to $370 in the second quarter of 2011, up 8.5 percent from the average fare of $341 in the second quarter of 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. 

Memphis, TN and Cincinnati had the highest average fare, $476, while Atlantic City, NJ, had the lowest, $205.

Second-quarter fares increased 3.9 percent from the first quarter, the second consecutive quarterly increase. Quarter-to-quarter changes may be affected by seasonal factors. 

BTS reports average fares based on domestic itinerary fares. Itinerary fares consist of round-trip fares unless the customer does not purchase a return trip. In that case, the one-way fare is included.

Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees, such as baggage fees, paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares.

Not inflation-adjusted, the $370 second-quarter 2011 average fares were up 6.5 percent from the previous second-quarter high of $347 in 2008. Unadjusted second-quarter fares dropped to a low of $302 in 2009 during the recession. Second-quarter 2011 fares were up 22.5 percent from the 2009 low, not adjusted for inflation.

Second-quarter 2011 fares, not adjusted for inflation, were highest of any quarter. The post-1995 high was $359 in the third quarter of 2008.  Adjusted for inflation, second-quarter 2011 fares in 1995 dollars were $250, down 17.4 percent from the second quarter of 1999, which, at $302, was the inflation-adjusted high for any second quarter since 1995. BTS air fare records reach back to 1995.

The average first-quarter fare of $315 was down 5.9 percent from the first quarter of 2008 and down 12.5 percent from the record high average fare of $360 in the third quarter of 2008. First quarter 2008 fares were also 9.4 percent below the pre-9/11 first quarter high of $348 in 2001.

The $315 first-quarter 2009 average fare represented a lower rate of increase than inflation both from the first quarter of 1995, the first year of BTS records and from the previous high for first-quarter fares set in 2001.

In the 15 years from 1995, air fares rose 6.1 percent compared with a 40.5 percent inflation rate. From 2001, when the previous first-quarter high was set, fares declined 9.4 percent compared with a 20.7 percent inflation rate.

Since 2005, average fares have risen less than the inflation rate. First-quarter 2009 average fares rose 4.5 percent from the post-9/11 first-quarter low of $301 in 2005; the inflation rate was 10.0 percent.

Of the top 100 airports based on 2008 originating passengers, the highest first-quarter average fares were in Huntsville, AL followed by Cincinnati, OH; Grand Rapids, MI; Savannah, GA; and Des Moines, IA.

The lowest fares in the top 100 airports were at Long Beach, CA followed by Oakland, CA; Burbank, CA; Dallas Love and Las Vegas.

The largest year-to-year average fare increase for the first quarter among the 100 largest airports ranked by originating passengers was 10.0 percent in Dallas Love followed by Houston Hobby; Lubbock, TX; Oklahoma City, OK and Memphis, TN.

The biggest year-to-year average decrease was 16.8 percent in Cincinnati, OH, followed by Madison, WI; Richmond, VA; Long Beach, CA and San Francisco.

A separate measure of fares, the BTS Air Travel Price Index dropped 8.5 percent in the first quarter of 2009 from its fourth quarter 2008 level.

Average fare calculations and the ATPI, while similar, measure air fares in two different ways and may produce different results. ATPI measures the rise in air fares, while average fares show the increased use of lower fares. The varying results reflect trends in the airline industry that have resulted in more passengers using lower air fares even though fare levels continue to rise. Three of these trends follow.

• First, low-cost carriers, which generally offer lower fares, now carry about 40 percent of all domestic enplaned passengers, up from about 14 percent in 1995.

• Second, network carriers have been forced to match some of the low-cost carrier relaxed fare rules, such as eliminating the "Saturday Night Stay Rule", which has allowed more passengers to purchase lower fares.

• Third, use of the Internet allows almost instant price comparisons that give the customer the opportunity for unprecedented low-fare shopping.

Excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, the largest year-to-year fare index increase for the first quarter among the 85 largest airline markets, ranked by passengers, was 3.7 percent in Islip, NY followed by Reno, NV; Ontario/San Bernardino, CA; San Diego, CA and Portland, OR.

The largest year-to-year ATPI decrease was 14.5 percent in Richmond, VA followed by Dayton, OH; Rochester, NY; Boston and Philadelphia.