Summer 2026 airfare is up — here's where the deals still are

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Spring break is barely behind us, but it’s already time to start thinking about summer travel plans.

While prices were down year over year when we looked at springtime flights, airfare is trending significantly upward for travel between June 1 and September 20. Based on an analysis of flight searches by Points Path users, we’re seeing a roughly 15% uptick in average domestic cash fares, and an 18% surge in domestic points fares. Internationally, cash fares are up 12% while points fares are up 14%.

Great weather, plenty of reasons to travel this summer, and heightened jet fuel costs are among the reasons why prices are up across the board. There’s also that little element known as “supply and demand.” Despite the pricing pressures, planes are still full. That gives airlines all the confidence they need to push prices higher.

"Summer 2026 is shaping up to be one of the pricier travel seasons we've seen in recent years," said Julian Kheel, the CEO and Founder of Points Path. "And airlines clearly aren't losing sleep over whether travelers will show up this summer. With demand still running strong, there's simply no incentive to lower prices."

Here’s a closer look at the full results of Points Path’s 2026 summer airfare trends report.

We’ve seen a fairly constant uptick in travel demand since pandemic-era restrictions were lifted. And despite macroeconomic anxieties and the war in the Middle East, airlines are broadly reporting that Americans are traveling more, not less.

Delta Air Lines, the first major U.S. carrier to report Q1 2026 earnings since the Iran conflict escalated, announced record first-quarter revenue of $14.2 billion — a more than 9% increase year over year.

The overall narrative being sent to investors and the public at large is clear: Travelers are still choosing experiences over physical goods, future bookings are robust, and (as of now) higher prices at the gas pump aren't materially slowing the urge for Americans to get on planes.

Unfortunately, this means higher prices. Airlines are making material changes to account for the surge in the price of jet fuel, including rollbacks of planned flight capacity growth for the summer to curb unprofitable flying and conserve fuel. Additionally, multiple airlines have hiked checked baggage fees, using higher fuel prices as the rationale.

While international and domestic airfare is up for cash fares, it’s up even more for points fares. Given this, here’s what we’d broadly recommend.

If you’re scoping out a flight that’s not a screaming deal to book with points, pay cash and use a credit card to earn flexible points. Then, you can transfer those points to a variety of partners (including hotels) to earn more value.

While economy tickets for summer 2026 are up significantly year over year, there’s a premium cabin sweet spot on the international front.

Premium economy, business, and first-class fares are up across the board, but cash fares for international premium cabins are up just 7%. For deal hunters, this is the area to scout as you scope out your summer flights.

"Travelers have been gravitating toward premium experiences ever since the pandemic, but a 7% increase in business and first-class cash fares is remarkably modest given everything else going on with fuel prices and demand," said Kheel. "For travelers who've been eyeing an upgrade, this summer may actually be the time to pull the trigger."

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Flexibility is the name of the game. Our data at Points Path demonstrates that the cheapest day of the week to travel this summer is Tuesday, with the average cash price for a flight clocking in some 17.6% cheaper on Tuesdays compared to Sundays (the most expensive day to depart).

Wednesday and Saturday were second and third cheapest days of the week to travel, respectively. Even in summer, it pays to avoid days where business travel tends to concentrate: Sunday, Monday, and Thursday.

There’s no avoiding it: If you’re flying this summer, you’re going to pay for the privilege. But if you want to save as much as possible, you may consider shifting your travel toward the end of summer rather than the start.

As of this writing, here are the 10 cheapest days to fly between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day 2026, ranked from cheapest to most expensive:

• Saturday, Aug. 1
• Friday, Aug. 14
• Wednesday, Aug. 26
• Wednesday, Aug. 12
• Saturday, Aug. 15
• Tuesday, Aug. 18
• Saturday, Aug. 8
• Friday, Sept. 4 (the Friday of Labor Day weekend)
• Friday, Aug. 21
• Saturday, Aug. 22

Across our Points Path dataset, these 10 dates show the lowest average cash fares between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day 2026. Most of them are clustered in mid-to-late August, when summer demand starts to taper.

Domestically, summer travelers are focusing on two specific areas: major cities (especially those that get snowed-in during the winter, like Boston and Chicago) and West Coast destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. But travelers will pay up for the privilege of visiting these spots, with prices running 5% to 17% above last summer and award prices climbing similarly.

Internationally, the usual trifecta of London, Rome, and Paris dominated European searches, with Cancun and Dublin rounding out the top five. Cash fares are running 6% to 12% above last summer, with award prices climbing similarly across most destinations.

From New York, major metros like Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Ft. Lauderdale, and Denver top the list, with London, Rome, and Paris predictably standing out on the international front due to markedly better weather compared to winter months. Interestingly, Toronto and Dublin both cracked the top 5, perhaps due to their relative proximity compared to more far-flung locales.

Out of Los Angeles, data show that summer travelers are focusing on two specific sectors: visits to major cities like New York City and Chicago and tropical destinations like Hawaii. Internationally, travelers are willing to make long trips, with Iceland, Sydney, and Tokyo all breaking into the top 5.

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The World Cup descends on North America in June, with 104 matches hosted across 11 U.S. cities, plus venues in Canada and Mexico. The first U.S. match — USA vs. Paraguay on June 12 — kicks off in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, and the airfare data shows a real demand spike: cash fares to L.A. for opening week are running 17% above the prior week, with award prices up 18%.

The deal: Las Vegas is the cheapest gateway to the U.S. opener, with flights to L.A. averaging just $148. That's roughly half the price of the next-cheapest origin city, and a short enough trip that fans from anywhere in the country can fly to Vegas, then make the short hop (or drive) to L.A. without breaking the bank.

For travelers flying in from abroad, the cheapest U.S. entry points on average are JFK ($897), Atlanta ($904), and Boston ($946). On the flip side, the most expensive destinations are Houston (IAH at $1,466), Mexico City (MEX at $1,299), and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW at $1,186). And if you're flexible on which match you attend, flights terminating in Toronto offer the best deals across the board in both cash and miles.

July 4, 2026, marks America’s semiquincentennial (America250), and there’s no better place to celebrate than the home of the Liberty Bell. A range of celebrations are planned in Philadelphia, including a couple of noteworthy ones that connect to alternative forms of travel.

First is the Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 Coast-to-Coast Tour, which connects the railroad's 1860s heritage with modern innovation, honoring the first transcontinental railroad by traversing 14 states. No. 4014 is the world's largest operating steam locomotive, measuring 133 feet long and weighing 1.2 million pounds. It will make a two-day stop surrounding July 4 in Philly. From there, you can take an actual commuter train from Philadelphia to New York City to see the Sail250 gala go all out in the East and Hudson Rivers.

The good news for travelers: There's currently no holiday premium for flying to Philly that week. Airfare holds steady at a $566 average, with Boston the cheapest origin city at $387. Other affordable gateways include LAX, PHX, ORD, and SFO. Houston, Orlando, Miami, and Dallas are the most expensive.

That said, expect prices to rise as we get closer to the holiday — book early if you're going.

Lolla brings tens of thousands of music fans to Chicago for a long weekend at Grant Park. Counterintuitively, the airfare data shows fares actually drop during festival week — flights to Chicago run 3% cheaper than the week before, likely because Chicago's massive airport capacity (ORD plus Midway) absorbs the demand without much pricing impact.

Cheapest gateway: Denver to Chicago averages $332, the strongest deal across major origin cities. Other affordable origins include Atlanta and San Diego.

San Francisco's flagship music festival lands in early August, just as Bay Area summer demand starts to taper. The result: Airfare actually dips during Outside Lands weekend, with SF fares running nearly 10% below the prior week.

Cheapest gateway: Phoenix to SF averages $309, with LAX close behind at under $340. West Coast flyers have the edge here — short-haul fares to the Bay Area consistently come in well below transcontinental options.

All destinations, recommendations, and trends are based on Points Path flight search data accumulated through April 15, 2026 for travel during the weeks of June 1 to September 20, 2026. For our year-over-year analysis, the 2026 travel window was compared to the same time period* as 2025. Only routes and destinations with at least 500 flight searches were included in the analysis.

*The summer travel season is defined as June 1 through September 20.

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