Soaring prices don’t have to ruin summer plans. Visit these affordable destinations
The travel price boomerang has come back around, and the price of a summer flight has some people nixing their usual vacation plans. While some think the aversion to costs is just the post-pandemic shock where a roundtrip flight to Europe could be $300, there is some science behind the sticker shock.
According to Thrifty Traveler, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index indicates a 17.7% increase in airfare from March 2022 to March 2023. That means, on average, Americans are paying almost 20% more for flights than they did a year ago. They added that the year-over-year prices have been even higher in previous months.
Booking a flight or finding a hotel anytime can be daunting for some, but attempting to do it on a budget can leave anyone puzzled. However, some destinations don’t require you to break the bank to get there.
Thrillest searched some of the web’s most trusted travel accommodation sites and found deals to ensure travelers a great summer for a great price. Here are some domestic destinations where the average airfare is currently below their summer 2022 fee. Airfare can vary depending on the take-off location. These flight deals were found on Expedia:
Orange County, California
Fort Myers, Florida
San Antonio, Texas
Orlando, Florida
Las Vegas, Nevada
Lodging is the second most crucial component of summer travel. If camping out under the stars on free land isn’t your thing, Hotels.com has some good news. The site reports that “domestic hotels are still running an average of 15% cheaper than hotel prices abroad.” You can skip the sleeping bag and take advantage of these cities with hotel rooms for less than an average of $150 a night:
Little Rock, Arkansas
Greenville, South Carolina
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Las Vegas, Nevada
Birmingham, Alabama
Twin Cities, Minnesota
If your idea of a summer vacation includes waking up in Europe, however, you may be able to snag a ticket for less than $1000 on Expedia to one of these destinations:
Barcelona
Lisbon
Reykjavik
Amsterdam
Another quick tip is to scope out deals on budget airlines. Detour shared the news of Southwest Airlines announcing their summer sale for airfare starting as low as $59. Spirit Airlines is also offering five new flight routes to Puerto Rico with one-way tickets starting at $59.
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly. Martie can be reached via email at martiebowser@detourxp.com.