Fall airline tickets to be 40% cheaper than peak summer prices

Fall airline tickets to San Diego, Salt Lake City and Portland expected to drop more than $200

Airline tickets are expected to cool off from peak summer prices with some fall domestic trips down more than $200, according to travel website Hopper. 

Demand for flights and hotels typically slows down around August as the summer travel season winds down. As a result, price drops are common to help drive bookings during what's known as "shoulder season."

According to Hopper, domestic airfare in September and October will cost travelers $238 on average for a round-trip, down $142 from where prices were earlier this summer. That's also down 3% compared with pre-pandemic times.  

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Travelers will also get a break on international travel, even though prices for those tickets are still above 2019 levels. International tickets will cost travelers $754 on average this fall, down $179, according to Hopper. That's still 17% higher than 2019 levels.  

For domestic flights this September, Hopper lead economist Hayley Berg told FOX Business that travelers should plan to book by the middle of August for the best price.  

Salt Lake City International Airport

Travelers pass through Salt Lake City International Airport, Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Salt Lake City.  ((AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) / AP Newsroom)

The lowest prices will be between three and six weeks before a trip, "rising rapidly in the last three weeks leading up to departure date," according to Berg. 

Trips to certain spots such as San Diego, Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City have already dropped more than $200 from peak summer prices, Hopper reported. 

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For instance, round-trip tickets to San Diego this fall are averaging around $252, down $230 from earlier their summer when prices averaged $482 for a round-trip. 

Travelers at Denver International Airport

Travelers queue up at the south security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File / AP Newsroom)

Trips to Portland and Salt Lake City are down $218 and $201, respectively, from earlier summer prices, according to Hopper. 

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Domestic destinations likely to see hefty drops in price this fall: 

  • San Diego, California: $254 on average for a round trip, down $230
  • Portland, Oregon: $314 on average for a round trip, down $218
  • Salt Lake City, Utah: $242 on average for a round trip, down $201
  • Seattle, Washington: $301 on average for a round trip, down $191
  • Los Angeles, California: $246 on average for a round trip, down $189
  • Anchorage, Alaska: $428 on average for a round trip, down $183
  • Colorado Springs, Colorado: $323 on average for a round trip, down $177
  • Denver, Colorado: $203 on average for a round trip, down $154
  • Hawaii Island, Hawaii: $484 on average for a round trip, down $154
  • Phoenix, Arizona: $254 on average for a round trip, down $153