Be Ready to Book Fast: These Are the Least Expensive Times to Fly for the Rest of 2022

Nashia Baker
·2 min read
young family walking through airport
young family walking through airport

jacoblund / Getty Images

Time is flying: There are officially less than six months left in 2022. But that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the remainder of the year—and that includes prioritizing a much-needed break to travel. If you have been waiting on record ticket prices to drop before booking a ticket to your dream destination, however, don't worry: Hopper just released its late-summer travel index and shared all things airfare for those hoping to plan an adventure without breaking the bank.

According to the travel site, domestic flight ticket prices have already started to drop this month to $286 on average—which is 25 percent lower when compared to the height of May's airfare prices. Tickets are expected to stay at $300 or below through September, but will likely begin to spike again in October and November. Come December, the average domestic ticket will be $368 and the peak price will likely be over $390 (likely due to increased last-minute bookings during the holiday season).

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Wondering why ticket prices have suddenly been slashed after months of being higher than average? Airfare was costly this summer due to expensive plane fuel and increased flight demand from jetsetters who haven't been able to travel much during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the busy season is drawing to a close, fall will provide the best time to fly from a financial perspective.

Now, all you need to do is decide where to go: Luckily, Hopper culled the top-trending destinations for post-summer travel, too. Beachside locales, such as Hawaii ($500 or below) and Hilton Head, South Carolina ($315), and mountainous regions, like Jackson, Wyoming ($460), are the most popular fall locales to visit in the United States. As for international travel, areas in Southeast Asia—Bali, Indonesia ($1,951), and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ($1,085), top the list—are trending this autumn. Sydney, Australia ($1,394), rounds out the top three non-domestic destinations to travel to around September.