Flight Prices Will Stay High Through the Holidays, Here's How to Save
There are "data points" that indicate a slow down in the future, according to the Southwest CEO.
Unfortunately, I'm not here to tell you airfare prices are on the decline. I'm here to rant and rave along with you. According to Southwest CEO Robert Jordan, those nightmare-ish flight costs aren't coming down anytime soon.
During a recent earnings call, Jordan blamed a number of factors—including increased wages and fuel problems—for the spike, but said high demand is the main culprit, Travel + Leisure reports.
"Looking forward, demand continues to be strong. We continue to experience both inflationary pressures and headwinds from lower productivity and efficiency," Jordan said. "So far, demand remains strong, and we haven't seen material impacts to our business. As always, we'll continue to monitor the environment and be ready to respond if needed."
Here's the good news: according to Jordan, "there are data points out there that could indicate early signs of a slowdown." Another morsel of hope? It's all about your savings strategy. Hopper Lead Economist Hayley Berg told T+L earlier this year that flexibility, especially during the holiday season, could save you big time on fares.
"With both Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares expected to be higher than in previous years, we recommend travelers start planning early by monitoring prices now," Berg told the outlet. "Flexible travelers will save the most this holiday season. If you can be flexible on travel dates and fly before and after each holiday week you can save as much as $300 off-peak airfares."