Buckle Up for Higher Airfares

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 25, 2009 10:24 AM CDT
Buckle Up for Higher Airfares
Passengers wait in line at the check-in counter for US Airways at Philadelphia International Airport.   (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek, File)

If you’re planning on flying this summer, book your tickets now. After a long period of dropping fares and constant sales, prices went up earlier this month and appear likely to keep rising throughout the summer, the Wall Street Journal reports. “I think for the consumer, it’s as good as we’re going to get right now,” said the CEO of FareCompare.com.

Normally fares fall at this time, in anticipation of the slower August and post-Labor Day travel seasons. But this year, the average fare is up 11%, according to one recent survey, and airlines aren’t offering as many sales. It’s due mostly to strong leisure travel demand—business travel is still way down, which has kept this summer’s fares below last summer's. (More airfare stories.)

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