Americans Skip Holiday Travel as Airfares Spike

Holiday travel budgets are shrinking as consumers weigh steeper airfares against limited disposable income. NerdWallet’s 2026 Holiday Travel Report indicates that 31% of Americans plan to skip flights and hotels this year. This represents a 22% increase over the previous holiday season.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index places the cost of airline tickets up 23.4% year over year. Higher jet fuel costs, reduced flight capacity, and strong consumer demand drive these increases. Sally French, NerdWallet’s travel expert and co-host of Smart Travel Podcast, noted that flight prices continued climbing while consumers felt the strain.

The departure of Spirit Airlines this year hit budget travelers particularly hard. French explained that the loss of the no-frills carrier eliminated a key source of cheap fares. She added that this reduction in competition pushed airfares up across other airlines, even for travelers who did not fly with Spirit.

Similar trends appear in data from The Points Guy and YouGov. Their survey found that 55% of respondents do not plan to travel for the 2026 holidays. High airfare remains the primary concern for those who do intend to fly.

Despite the trend toward staying home, 42% of Americans still plan to travel. They expect to spend an average of $2,439 on flights and hotels, a figure that has remained stable since 2025. Parents with children under 18 show the highest travel intent, with 62% planning to spend money on holiday trips. In contrast, only 33% of non-parents share that spending plan.

Cost-conscious parents are adjusting their booking habits to save money. 18% said they would accept less convenient routes, such as late-night flights or poor connections, to lower costs. Only 8% of non-parents are willing to make similar sacrifices. Additionally, 26% of parents plan to use credit card points to pay for travel, compared to 14% of non-parents.