Airfares soar 27% as fuel spikes

The Points Guy reported on May 13 that summer airfares have jumped as airlines absorb higher fuel costs and travelers head into the peak booking window. The travel site, citing data from booking tool Points Path, said domestic round-trip economy fares for summer travel were running about 27% above the same point last year. Award tickets were also more expensive, with domestic mileage prices up nearly 25%, according to the report. The latest federal inflation data also showed airline fares rising in April, while an industry jet-fuel benchmark remained elevated in mid-May. ### Where does the 27% increase come from? Points Path data cited by The Points Guy showed summer round-trip domestic economy prices up roughly 27% from a year earlier. Sean Cudahy, the site’s aviation reporter, wrote that the increase reflected fares shoppers were seeing in current searches for summer trips. Domestic award pricing was up nearly 25%, he reported. (thepointsguy.com) The same May 13 report said some overseas routes were rising even faster. Kayak data cited by The Points Guy showed current fares to London up nearly 45% from last year and flights to Milan up about 38%. ### How much of this is tied to fuel? The Points Guy linked the higher fares to rising jet fuel costs after oil-market disruptions that began in early March. (thepointsguy.com) Cudahy wrote that economists had warned for months that higher fuel prices would feed into airfare. In a separate March 10 report, Rob Handfield, a supply-chain expert at North Carolina State University, told the outlet travelers booking three or four months ahead should “buy now.” Airlines for America said the Argus U.S. jet fuel index stood at $3.91 a gallon on May 13. That benchmark had been above $4 a gallon on May 12, according to the same industry data series. ### Are government data showing the same pressure? The Bureau of Labor Statistics said on May 12 that airline fares increased in April from the prior month, though it did not publish the fare change in the topline summary. (thepointsguy.com) The same release showed the broader energy index up 3.8% in April and up 17.9% over 12 months. (airlines.org) Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis data, which republishes the BLS airline-fares index, showed the seasonally adjusted U.S. airline-fares index at 299.267 in April 2026. The series was updated on May 12, with the next release scheduled for June 10. ### What are travelers being told to do now? The Points Guy said late bookers were likely to face higher prices through the summer. (bls.gov) Its May 13 report said travelers searching 21 to 35 days before departure were seeing cash fares up 33% year over year and award prices up 28%. (fred.stlouisfed.org) The site advised travelers to stay flexible on destinations and dates, use points or trip credits where possible, and consider less conventional booking strategies. In its March report, it also said August tends to offer lower fares than June and July. ### What should readers watch next? (thepointsguy.com) June 10 is the next scheduled release date for the Bureau of Labor Statistics airline-fares index carried by FRED. Summer booking trends will also become clearer as Memorial Day travel begins later in May and airlines update fares for June, July and August departures. (fred.stlouisfed.org) (thepointsguy.com)