By: John Rauser - Farecast Fareologist
With the summer travel season nearly upon us, I thought I’d slice and dice some Fourth of July airfares. The average summer airfare is up 20% since last year, and trips over the Fourth of July weekend are no different. However, you can still exercise some control over your airfare by carefully choosing your dates of travel.
When To Fly
This table shows the average price of the cheapest available ticket for a variety of Fourth of July itineraries in our top 100 city pairs.
Since the Fourth falls on a Friday this year, the picture is similar to Thanksgiving: trips returning on Sunday are the most expensive by far. Returning instead on Saturday or Monday saves $25/ticket on average, and delaying your return until Tuesday or Wednesday saves over $40/ticket. Varying your departure date can also save $15-20.
The most expensive itinerary is Sunday June 29 to Sunday July 6, which has averaged $352 so far this year in our top 100 markets. At this time last year, that same ticket had averaged just $290. The cheapest itinerary we’re tracking is a seven night trip Tuesday July 1 to Tuesday July 8, which has averaged $284 so far this year.
When To Buy
If last year is any guide, do not delay: on average, prices rose steadily after May 1 last year, and the trend is the same so far this year. Check prices now on Live Search Farecast. If we’re forecasting a price drop, you can hang on for a little while to see if it materializes, but if we suggest you buy, I’d take our advice quickly.