Ready for summer: As jet fuel prices increase, so do airfares
According to data from Hopper, the average summer domestic airfare is expected to be about $383, 33% higher than in 2019.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Despite high plane ticket prices airport officials have been noticing lately, travelers say they're still going to travel.
"It definitely is not encouraging," said Joshua Harmon, an LAX traveler. "But I do have to travel and I love to so, I will figure out a way to do it I guess."
If you're thinking of planning a summer trip, you may want to consider this - according to data from Hopper, a travel/analytics site, the average summer domestic airfare is expected to be about $383. That's 33% more than it was during the same time in 2019 before the pandemic.
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"The price of jet fuel is up 124% year over year. It's not the airlines fault. There are geopolitical issues at work," said Brian Sumers, the editor-at-large of Skift, a travel industry news site. "But fuel accounts for a huge amount of an airline's cost and they have to pass on that cost to their customers."
Jet fuel prices have increased, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. At the end of April, weekly prices reached a peak of $4.63 per gallon - higher than the peak in July of 2008.
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"Ticket prices clearly have gone up," said David Zielke, another LAX traveler. "There's less supply, there's tremendous demand right now for leisure travel all over the country, so the airlines are able to take advantage of that and also help cover the cost of the dramatic increase in fuel prices that we're all seeing."
But even if you aren't planning on spending the money to fly this summer, gas prices for automobiles are still high and breaking records.
AAA data shows average regular prices are hitting more than $6 a gallon Thursday across Southern California. That's more than a $2 jump from a year ago.
So, what's something you can do about the high airfares?
"If you want to save money, don't always look in American, United, Delta," Sumers said. "There are plenty of airlines out there. People in Los Angeles have plenty of choices and all these airlines are safe. They may not be the most comfortable airlines in the world, but they will get you there safely and relatively cheaply."
Grace Manthey contributed to this report.
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