Summer travel outlook: fewer deals, higher fares, and how to save

NEW YORK, April 15, 2026 – Summer 2026 is arriving at a complicated moment. Higher jet fuel costs are placing pressure on airline balance sheets, prompting carriers to explore a range of expense-offsetting strategies. Travelers are left dealing with higher fares, steeper fees, and a growing financial burden. And the data confirms it: Domestic airfare is up 18% and international 7.5%, averaging 13% year over year.

“Two things can be true at once: Average airfares can be up, and cheap flights can still exist. But this year is proving to be more challenging for travelers than usual to find those rock-bottom fares we've become accustomed to, especially with summer around the corner,” said Going travel expert Katy Nastro.
 

Where travelers want to go 

Going's search data reveals a striking mismatch between where Americans want to travel and where deals exist. Coastal cities and Hawaii are surging domestically: Searches to San Jose/San Francisco are up 101%, New York metro as much as 91%, and Honolulu 68%, while Orlando (-53%), Las Vegas (-43%), and Miami (-61%) are all down significantly. 

Internationally, Italy is up 20% and Portugal 22%, while the United Kingdom has dropped 48% and Ireland 57%. The Dominican Republic is the breakout destination, with searches more than doubling year over year.

The challenge: Not all heavily searched destinations are heavily discounted.

The good news: deals still exist

“With airfare unpredictability, the best strategy for travelers is leaning into destinations that are predictably affordable. Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean, are unsurprisingly seeing the strongest deal activity this year. Hurricane risk naturally helps ease prices, but if you want to avoid weather and cost risk, target islands below the hurricane belt like Aruba and Curaçao for the best case scenario,” said Nastro.

Going members have already found deals reflecting this pattern: Syracuse to Port of Spain (Trinidad) for $350 (50% off), Norfolk, Virginia, to Aruba for $359 (48% off), New Orleans to Cancún for $244 (59% off), Chicago to Orlando for $186 (53%), and San Diego to Providence for $199 (43%).

Tips to navigate summer 2026 airfare

1. Avoid Sundays. Sundays are the most expensive departure day every month across both types of travel, by roughly 16%. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are consistently cheapest.
2. Fly in August. Domestic fares average $754 in June and drop to $579 by August, with the weeks of Aug. 17 and Aug. 24 the cheapest for both domestic and international travel.
3. Book Main, not Basic Economy. Unlike Basic Economy, Main tickets can be rebooked if fares drop. Main also provides earlier boarding, which means better odds at overhead bin space. The Going app alerts you the moment prices fall on your route.
4. Use your points, but read the fine print. With cash fares elevated, miles stretch further this summer, though carriers are quietly raising award fees. Not sure if a deal is good? Check out shouldibookthisflight.com.
5. Expect to pay more for bags. All six major U.S. carriers raised checked bag fees. To save, always pre-pay online, consider a co-branded card with a free bag perk, or consider shipping luggage. 
6. If you have a major international trip booked, stay alert. Foreign carriers may cut summer capacity amid fuel uncertainty, so make sure the airline has an accurate email on file (not an OTA's), and know the train alternatives.

About Going

Going, the travel app for discovering flight deals, has helped 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 2 million 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.

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This report is based on Going search data for itineraries departing June 12 through Aug. 31, 2026 with trip durations of three to seven days. Lead time data reflects search behavior, not confirmed bookings.

Media contact: [email protected]

Read the full 2026 Summer Travel Guide: HERE