# Holiday airfare spike

News · Heat 1.0 / 10 · 2 shows · 3m airtime

Holiday round-trip fares reached a 10-year high around late September 2026, with average Thanksgiving and Christmas tickets nearly $100 more than last year, driven by jet fuel prices pushed up by the war with Iran. By mid-October, CPI data showed airfare running 24% above a year ago, with Thanksgiving flights up 31%, confirming the scale of the increase. The discussion has moved from the initial sticker shock to the broader inflation picture, with travel experts still advising booking before Halloween and avoiding Sunday returns, which run about $250 more.

Page: https://boilpoints.com/point/holiday_airfare_spike_515110928

## Segments

- [The Breakfast Club](https://boilpoints.com/u/thebreakfastclub), 2026-09-29, 31:34 to 33:17: **Blames jet fuel for the 10-year fare high**. Reports holiday airfares at a 10-year high, nearly $100 above last year, blaming jet fuel costs from the war with Iran; experts say book before Halloween and skip Sunday returns. New angle: Holiday round-trip fares are at a 10-year high, nearly $100 above last year.
- [The Headlines](https://boilpoints.com/u/theheadlines), 2026-10-12, 8:28 to 9:50: **Adds CPI figures to the airfare spike**. Adds hard figures to the airfare story: the Consumer Price Index shows fares 24% above a year ago and Thanksgiving flights up 31%, and ties the biggest increases to cities Spirit Airlines served before it shut down in May. New angle: Airfare ran 24% above a year ago per the CPI, with Thanksgiving flights up 31%.