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.