Tourists take photos at Shinsekai with Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka, Japan on December 12, 2024.
Kichul Shin | Nurfoto | getty images
Planning an international trip this year? If you’re willing to fly far you might get lucky.
Long-haul travel is cheaper than last year, according to data released this week from flight-tracking company Hopper.
For example, by mid-2025, flights between the US and Asia are 11% cheaper than last year, averaging $1,087, with capacity 6% higher than in 2024. Flights to Europe are down 6% at $754, Hopper data shows.
Flights to Africa and the Middle East are flat from last year, while flights to South America are down 4% to $685, and flights from the US to Mexico and Central America are up 9% to $469.
Meanwhile, domestic US ticket prices are rising, as airlines become more cautious about adding capacity in the US and face delays in aircraft delivery. boeing And Airbus.
But cheaper international travel has come as airlines have increased capacity to popular destinations and demand has surged compared to after the pandemic, when travelers rushed to book trips abroad once travel restrictions were lifted. Fares were high as airlines faced a shortage of workers and aircraft due to the pandemic.
As airlines have increased capacity, Europe Fare At the end of last year they were the lowest in years.
“You’re certainly not at the point now where there’s pent-up demand left,” said Scott Keyes, founder of travel app Going, formerly known as Scotts Cheap Flights.
Favorable exchange rates for travelers using the US dollar have boosted demand in many countries, including hotspot Japan. The number of international visitors to Japan increased by nearly 50% to about 33.4 million in the first 11 months of 2024, according to Japanese government data.
travel search site Kayak With flights to Asia said to be the cheapest they have been in at least three years, customer interest is increasing. Kayak said the Japanese cities Tokyo, Sapporo and Osaka were recording the largest percentage increases in searches.
Tourists sit in front of the Patong Beach sign on the seashore on the southern Thai island of Phuket on November 29, 2024.
Chankarna Laosarkham AFP | getty images
Kayak said it also noted that airfares are low across the Caribbean, with tickets to Dominica (21% less than last year), and Barbados and St. Lucia, which are 17% less than last year. Are.
Passengers flying this year are also more interested in business class, which is a trending carrier deltaWhich begins earnings 2025 airline on Friday, has capitalized.
Kayak estimates that searches for those four-digit business class fares are up 19% from last year.
