Prices up in the air: Flights may be higher as travel returns for many

CHARLOTTE — COVID-19 numbers are the lowest they have been in months. So, if you have the travel bug or are looking to take that vacation you’ve been holding off on for the last two years, now is your chance.

Channel 9′s Erika Jackson has the latest on why you might need to book now despite the sky-high prices we are seeing.

Flight trackers said travelers can expect to pay around $300 for a domestic flight roundtrip.

Experts said those prices have been going up about 13% each month and now may be the best time for you to book your trip.

Flyer Sam Moore said told Channel 9 that he was heading back to college in South Carolina after a trip to Florida.

“This is my first trip in a couple of months, but it was a great time,” Moore said.

Moore said it may be another couple of months before he finds himself back on a plane.

“It was around $500 to $550 for the round trip there and back,” Moore said. “Prices have been going up and I noticed that myself.”

Moore isn’t the only one who has noticed that prices have been going up.

A representative for the flight price tracker app Hopper told Channel 9 that domestic airfare is up 37% from this time in 2020 when the World Health Organization declared the pandemic. And it’s 27% higher since the start of 2022.

It’s a gamble,” Doctor Peter Schwarz with UNC Charlotte said. “But, you know, there’s a possibility that we’ve seen the highest price of oil for a while.”

Schwarz said that rising gas prices play a vital role in flight fares but there are other important factors at play as well.

The Russian Ukraine tensions may prevent some people from flying though more people are eager to fly now that COVID-19 cases are down.

“I’m thinking that demand is likely to be strong,” Schwarz said. “And, that may outweigh any advantages.”

Schwarz said he isn’t confident airfare will drop much in near future, if at all.

Moore however, offered a more optimistic sentiment “Hopefully it will get cheaper and we can all travel a little bit more,” Moore said.

A representative with Hopper told Channel 9 that flyers can save big bucks if they take flights on Tuesday and Wednesday.

You may also have better luck with your flight being on time if you fly in the morning, that way you won’t risk the impacts from delays earlier in the day.

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