North Texas Travelers Brace for Flight Price Hikes

We’re officially into the holiday travel season and consumers are feeling the price hike for airline tickets.

It’s the time of year of reuniting with family and friends. Many travelers are reporting a smooth experience at airports, but precious moments with loved ones come at a price. Fort Worth resident Nick Do said he felt it at checkout.

“I bought mine in about a month in advance,” he said. “Definitely paid a lot more than I normally do to visit home. But nonetheless, I had to do it anyway.”

According to the platform Hopper, holiday travel is nearly 40% more expensive for a round-trip airline ticket compared to this time last year. Christmas airfare is expected to be the highest it’s been in five years.

Abe Mendez got back to Dallas from El Paso and plans to return for Christmas. However, he has his limits.

“If I’m going back to El Paso, $500 is very steep,” said Mendez. “I can probably fly out to California or New York for just $500.”

One couple at Love Field Airport in Dallas flew in from Michigan for the Cowboys game on Thursday.

“We planned about two months ago. I always wanted to come here for Thanksgiving Day in the new stadium,” said Linda Reid.

They say the experience was worth the elevated price, but there’s even a cutoff for the Cowboys.

“I think $1000 probably would’ve been too much for a ticket,” she said. “We wouldn’t’ve done that.”

The average round-trip domestic ticket for Christmas travel sits at around $463 this year. With persistent pilot shortages, high fuel costs, and airport service cuts, airline experts say travelers might want to get comfortable at this price point.