Thanksgiving and Christmas travelers should expect higher gas and airfare prices this year, according to officials and travel data cited by WSVN. Travel company Hopper reports airfare is up 31% for Thanksgiving and 23% for Christmas compared with 2025.
Hopper’s Hayley Berg said she has not seen holiday airfare this high in at least 10 years. Travel experts attribute the increase to the war in the Middle East.
Gas is also costly. The average price is $3.83 a gallon in Miami-Dade and $3.81 in Broward, and some analysts describe the 2026 holiday road trips as potentially the most expensive in 20 years.
Fort Lauderdale residents interviewed by the station described the situation as outlandish, and some said hotel rates were higher than usual. One woman said her family’s round-trip flights to Asheville, North Carolina, cost about $1,200 for two people. Another said she booked about six weeks ahead and found her fares reasonable.
Berg advises booking early and avoiding the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which she called the busiest day. AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins recommended considering earlier flights, avoiding tight connections, building flexibility into travel plans and considering travel insurance. Some travelers may also use miles or credit card points to offset ticket costs.
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