Airfares Have Hit a Record Low Average, U.S. Government Says

This week, the island of Maui in Hawaii was devastated by wildfires.

In the travel industry, nothing signals the end of summer like shoulder-season airfares. Domestic roundtrip airfares have already started to dip, down 2% from an average of $274 in July to $267 in August, according to Hopper’s latest pricing data released Tuesday.

Few moments are more frustrating during travel than when the baggage carousel stops and you realize your bag didn’t make it. While mobile tracking helps airlines make sure that your checked luggage arrives at your destination safely and on time, it is still a far from perfect system. During 2022, approximately 26 million bags were mishandled worldwide, according to SITA, an IT provider for the air transport industry. That’s about 7.6 out of every 1,000 passengers that are mishandled (meaning delayed, damaged, lost, or stolen). And while some airlines will compensate passengers with miles if their bags are delayed, it’s still a high enough figure that some travelers might wonder if there’s another—better—option.

Back to school is just around the corner and Spirit Airlines is making that transition a bit easier by helping students, parents, and teachers alike plan for their first school year vacation with a $40 flight sale.

Low-cost airline Avelo is getting ready for fall travel with a major sale on September travel. It's recently announced «Fares Fall into Fall with 50% Off All September Flights» promotion offers flights for half off throughout the month when booked before Aug. 8. Travelers must enter the promotional code “Sept50” during the booking process on Avelo’s website to take advantage of the sale.

Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines will launch flights to Puerto Rico this fall, marking the airline’s first-ever Caribbean destination and its latest expansion plans.

Thompson Seattle has long been my go-to hotel in downtown Seattle, just steps away from Pike’s Place Market and with an excellent restaurant (Conversation Kitchen & Bar), and a spectacular 4,500-square-foot rooftop bar (The Nest) from which you can survey the city’s iconic PNW landscape. This luxury boutique hotel has upped its own ante with the opening of two new 1,000 square-foot penthouse suites that have unparalleled views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains from the 12th floor and are decked out with local artwork and other design touches.

Does it feel like 2010 all over again? As far as U.S. domestic airfares go, it is. Or so the government would have us believe.

With fuel prices at historic lows and profits at historic highs, the airlines have come under increasing pressure from the public, regulators, and the media to lower their airfares. Albeit belatedly, it appears they’ve begun doing just that.

For at least the second time this summer, Amtrak is offering a rare flash sale for fares on Northeast Regional train travel for as low as $19. Sample one-way fares range from $19 between Richmond and Washington, to $49 from New Haven to Washington.

Good news: Fewer and fewer travelers are being bumped from flights. And according to the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), it isn’t just fewer, it’s the fewest on record: