Flying is cheaper in 2024. But not for some destinations
Americans traveling this summer have broadly seen prices fall for airline fares, a welcome trend after last year's sticker shock.
But airfare remains more expensive in 2024 for some regions and destinations, largely for trips abroad, data shows.
For example, an average round-trip flight to Tokyo, Japan — one of the top hot spots for American tourists — costs $1,372 this summer, up 2% from 2023, according to travel site Hopper.
Flights to Canada, South America, and the Middle East and Africa regions are also up 6%, 2% and 1%, respectively, from summer 2023, Hopper found.
Of course, there's significant variation among the cities and countries of such vast regions and continents.
For example, while the price of a round-trip fare to Asia is flat from a year ago, those for certain destinations have soared: by 65% (to $3,196) for an average flight to Sakata, a coastal city in the northeast of Japan; by 42% (to $4,190) to Ipoh, among Malaysia's biggest cities; and by 35% (to $4,092) to Udon Thani, in Thailand's northeast, according to Hopper.
High prices to certain Asian cities impact many American tourists since the continent is their second-most frequented international travel destination, Hopper said.
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Flights are also up for some major hubs in South America, according to Hopper: by 16% (to $955) to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; by 34% (to $667) to Lima, Peru; and by 13% (to $826) to Santiago, Chile, for example.
Average fares to Europe, the most popular trip abroad for Americans, are down 8% in summer 2024 versus a year ago, when they were
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