- Airlines have cut their travel forecasts for 2025 largely due to economic uncertainty, which means cheap flights can be found.
- Flights this summer can cost as little as $75 to as much as $503 for popular U.S. and European destinations flying out of New York City, according to airfares provided to ConsumerAffairs by Skyscanner.
- Still, cheap flights often require long layovers that travelers want to avoid.
Economic troubles are offering cheaper flights for vacationers.
Lowest airfares range from as little as $75 to as much as $503 for economy-class tickets to popular U.S. and European destinations this summer flying out of airports in New York City, according to prices provided to ConsumerAffairs by airfare-tracking website Skyscanner.
"There’s so much money to be saved for travel in summer 2025 if consumers are willing to take the time to compare their travel options," Laura Lindsay, global travel trends expert at Skyscanner, told ConsumerAffairs.
But cheap flights often aren't direct and can involve lengthy layovers, making travel less than ideal.
Layovers can turn into a positive, however: Skyscanner said that airlines sometimes encourage multi-day layovers, allowing travelers to see another city on the way to their main destination.
Economy is creating cheap flights
More cheap flights are appearing after airlines cut their sales expectations in large part because of economic uncertainty.
When airlines cut their travel forecasts, they often lower prices to boost sales.
The International Air Transport Organization (IATA) now expects there will be fewer than 5 billion flights in 2025, down from previous forecast of 5.22 billion, citing economic conditions such as the U.S. trade war, AFP reports.
“Softer demand from business and government travel, declining inbound international tourists from specific regions, and insecurity around the economic outlook have all led airlines to readjust their outlooks for the rest of the year,” Katy Nastro, travel expert and spokesperson for flight app Going, told Afar magazine.
Airfares fell to their lowest level in more than two years in April, falling nearly 8% from 12 months prior, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Airfares will be lower in 2025 but oil prices have also fallen, which means cheaper jet fuel costs for airlines that can give them more financial leeway, Henry Harteveldt, an aviation analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Afar.
“I think airfares will be more modest than perhaps they were a year ago,” he said.