Thanksgiving isn’t shaping up as a holiday for the wallet for Atlantans planning to fly to some major cities this year.
But, like real estate, it’s a matter of location, location, location.
Average airfares from Atlanta to some major cities were up anywhere from 3.2 percent for Los Angeles to 35.2 percent for Orlando this year over last, according to data from Expedia.com for tickets purchased through Sept. 28 for the Thanksgiving travel period, which runs from Nov. 17 to 24.
But airfares from Atlanta are lower than last year for some other cities, including Washington, down 4.4 percent, and Phoenix, down 1.8 percent.
“I don’t think these fares are that bad,” said Tom Parsons, the chief executive of BestFares.com. “We could see these prices go up every week as we get closer to the holiday.”
If airlines find themselves with too many empty seats, they may lower prices just before the holidays, Parsons said, “but that’s really gambling.”
Parsons advises travelers to be flexible on dates and book early if possible.
Expedia recommends travelers consider alternate airports. For example, though fares to Miami are up, fares to Fort Lauderdale are down 2 percent, the travel website company says.
Nationally, domestic airfares for the holidays are expected to drop about 1.4 percent, according to Bing Travel. But fares for international flights are up.
Parsons said one positive is that most major airlines have fewer peak-day surcharges over the holidays than last year.
More travelers are taking matters, and their luggage, in their own hands. According to Atlanta-area responses to a fall survey conducted by the Travel Leaders network of travel agencies, two-thirds said their clients are avoiding baggage fees by taking only carry-on bags.
