NORFOLK, Va. — You’ve probably heard of the increased cost of flights as we head into the summer season.
Demand is back with people looking to travel again.
According to United Airlines, the average domestic airfare is $360 for a round-trip flight, up from around $250 this time last year. It’s believed to be the strongest demand for plane tickets in 30 years.
“Demand across the board for summer 2022 travel is up 20% to 25% relative to 2019,” said Jamie Lane, the vice president of research at AirDNA, a vacation rental data platform that tracks trends on Airbnb and Vrbo.
Digging into the 13News Now archives, we found a story on airfare from 1992.
That February, prices for a flight reached new altitudes for travelers. It’s a surprising comparison to where we are today.
A round-trip flight from Norfolk to New York City had jumped from $148 to $226 in a week. Even with prices soaring today, you can still find the same flight to New York for just $10 more – and that’s not factoring in inflation.
Back in 199, $226 is actually about $460 by today’s standards.
The reason it costs less to fly today isn’t rocket science.
Flying, in general, has become less exclusive than it was 30 years ago. Airlines are much more efficient when it comes to technology and the number of people they can fit on an airplane.
Relatively speaking, flights are going to cost you more right now. But think twice before saying they’re at an all-time high.