Atlanta-headquartered Delta Airlines reported higher revenues of nearly $15 billion in September and a key driver was international travel which jumped by 35 percent from the same time a year ago.
The continued interest for Americans in international travel, after the COVID-era lockdowns may beg the question—what places will be the cheapest to travel?
As the last vestiges of the summer turn into fall, airfares are cooling. That means there could be deals out there for those with an itch to fly abroad.
International flights are estimated to fall over the fall with fares to Europe down by nearly a third compared to their summer highs shaving off $330 from tickets, according to a September study by travel platform Hopper.
To fly to the Carribean archipelago of Antilles, tickets are estimated to decline by 16 percent. To travel to Canada, flights have dropped by 23 percent, while travel to Europe flights were down 31 percent.
Some of the so-called bucket list destinations have seen price falls of about a quarter. A trip to London booked between September to early November was down about 35 percent from summer prices. A trip to Paris could cost you $500 less during that time.
Those travelers looking for atypical places to explore, a ticket to Bergen, Norway, saw a drop in ticket costs of nearly half, Hopper found.
"The weather in most European countries remains sunny and warm during the early parts of fall, offering many of the same attractions and experiences that you might enjoy in June, July or August," Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper, wrote. "But the best part about a bucket list trip in early fall? You'll avoid all the crowds!"
Most tourists to Europe tend to head over during peak summer seasons, Berg pointed out.
"This means tourist destinations, beaches, restaurants and the like will be significantly less crowded during early fall as all of the other travelers head back to work and school," she said.
For those who would want to explore travel in Mexico, Central America and Caribbean locations, Freeport in the Bahamas may be a good bet—tickets were down nearly 40 percent.
For Asia, Nadi, Fiji, prices were down 45 percent while going to Chiang Mai in Thailand may cost you 43 percent less than it would've over the summer.
Berg also had tips for travelers looking to go abroad over the Thanksgiving holiday, advising them to depart closer to the date.
"Departing Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving will get travelers the best deals," she wrote in a separate holiday-focused analysis.
Christmas tickets tend to be pricey but creative travellers can save some cash if they fly on the day of the holiday.
"Departures on Christmas Day [cost] 17% lower than departing on Friday ahead of the long weekend, about $246/ticket savings. For quick international trips, aim to return by Thursday or Friday to save the most," Berg wrote. "If extending trips through New Year's Eve, plan to return midweek following the first of the year."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Omar Mohammed is a Newsweek reporter based in the Greater Boston area. His focus is reporting on the Economy and ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
