Domestic Fares Up, International Down: The Split Story of 2026 Fourth of July Travel

NEW YORK, June 4, 2026 – Domestic fares are staying high this Independence Day. But for travelers looking a bit further afield, there's some good news. Going, the travel platform for discovering flight deals, has crunched the data to highlight where Americans can still find value amid higher fares this holiday.

"A Saturday Fourth is music to a frugal traveler’s ears. You don’t necessarily need to burn much PTO versus when it falls midweek, which gives cost-conscious travelers a great excuse to keep their trips tighter," said Katy Nastro, travel expert at Going. "Last year's 'Fourth of July Friday' gave people a natural runway to build a longer trip through the weekend. This year, the holiday is the weekend, which means shorter, closer-to-home trips are more appealing, and we're seeing that play out clearly in the data.”

2026 Fourth key takeaways
 

1. Domestic fares are up; international fares are down. Domestic roundtrips from July 1 to July 8 are up 17% year-over-year, averaging $486 (~$70 more per ticket); international fares are down slightly at 3.8%, averaging $1,235 (~$50 less per ticket).*
    
2. Peak days to avoid. According to forecasting based on TSA data, Friday, July 3 (~2.85 to 3.05M travelers) and Monday, July 6 (~2.80 to 3.10M travelers) are going to be the busiest. From a cost standpoint, avoiding Sunday can mean saving more overall.
    
3. July 4th itself is the cheapest day to fly. Without exception across past years of Going data, flying on the holiday itself consistently offers savings. TSA forecasting suggests between 2.05 to 2.25M travelers versus peak days.
    

4. A closer-to-home mindset is defining summer travel, and Independence Day is no exception. Memorial Day Weekend saw year-over-year traveler declines for the first time since pre-pandemic, an early sign of traveler restraint heading into the season. Going's Summer Travel Sentiment Survey finds that 45% of Americans plan to travel shorter distances and spend less than in years past. That sentiment is reflected in Fourth of July searches too: Canada and Mexico rank as the top two international destinations by search volume, while the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are fast-rising destinations to watch, both posting notable year-over-year search increases. 
    
5. Interest in the Pacific Northwest is rising. Seattle/Everett (+227%), Portland (+284%), and Oakland (+243%, technically Northern CA) all saw massive search increases compared to last year, which may be attributed to FIFA World Cup games occurring around the same time.

Most-searched destinations — Destinations with highest search volume 

Trending destinations — Destinations with the highest growth in interest year-over-year

The flip side: Where search interest is declining

Not every destination is having a moment:

• Italy fell from the #2 international destination to #6, with searches down 54% year over year.
• South Korea dropped 62%. Long-haul international trips across a long weekend may not have been as enticing, especially when international prices were elevated. 
• Las Vegas, a top domestic pick last year, shed nearly a quarter of its search volume while fares rose.
• The Sun Belt broadly is cooling: Atlanta, Miami, and Dallas all fell out of the domestic top 20 entirely, likely as July heat pushes travelers toward cooler, more-scenic options.
   

Gas prices finally ease

With domestic airfares up and AAA pegging the national gas average at $4.26/gallon as of June 2026, a destination within driving distance may be the smartest move for a three-day weekend. Some regional standouts:

• Seattle/Everett travelers can reach scenic mountain village Leavenworth, WA, in ~2.5 hours for ~$67 in gas.
• NYC-area travelers can reach Asbury Park, NJ, or North Fork, Long Island, for $22–$41 in gas.
• Bay Area travelers can reach Half Moon Bay, CA, in under an hour for ~$16-$27 in gas.
• Portland travelers can reach Hood River or Cannon Beach, OR, for $28–$38 in gas.
• Chicago travelers can reach Lake Geneva, WI, in ~1.5 hours for ~$32 in gas.

Last-minute Fourth of July deals
 

• San Francisco to San Diego for $135 (45% off)
• Boston to Chicago for $187 (45% off)
• Knoxville to Bangor (Acadia National Park) for $299 (40% off)
• Los Angeles to La Paz for $325 (40% off)
• New York to Bermuda for $337 (37% off)**

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*Airfare averages are based on roundtrip searches from Going internal search data for travel departing on or between July 1 through July 8, combination of trips up to seven days in length, on full-service airlines, pulled on June 4, 2026. TSA forecasts are estimates. Gas estimates based on AAA regionally based averages, with a national average of $4.26/gallon as of June 4, 2026, using 22 mpg fuel economy.

**Roundtrip deals were pulled on June 3, 2026, and may not be available at the time of publication. Please inquire within for updated deal information.

About Going

Going, the travel app for discovering flight deals, has helped 10 million members around the world make their travel dreams come true since 2015. We combine sophisticated software and human flight experts to discover flight deals and mistake fares up to 90% off and send them to our members. Unlike fully automated fare alerts services, every deal alert we send to members has passed a rigorous quality evaluation by our team to ensure it's worth members' hard-earned money and limited travel time.