Price of air tickets in 2025

[JustJack]

I've been watching the prices and waiting to book my flight to Spain for May 2025, but the prices are about double what they were last year and the year before. For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400. (Spring break tickets to Asia are the same thing - double the price of last year).

Is everyone noticing the same thing, or is this a Canadian / west coast phenomenon?

 

[Tincatinker]

Probably a bad time to be looking at flights “Holidays” (I hate that phrase, it’s f’ing Christmas) inflation on flight prices will carry through.

Try looking in February when the Dynamic Pricing Botts and the Bottom Liners in Accounts are starting to sweat.

Meanwhile I’d anticipate a 10% year on year increase on international flight prices but no more than that. Though I do note that the two major London airports have increased their ground handling fees by 20%. No doubt in a desperate attempt to push all that difficult trans- Atlantic trade to Schipol

 

[JustJack]

Probably a bad time to be looking at flights “Holidays” (I hate that phrase, it’s f’ing Christmas) inflation on flight prices will carry through.

Try looking in February when the Dynamic Pricing Botts and the Bottom Liners in Accounts are starting to sweat.

Meanwhile I’d anticipate a 10% year on year increase on international flight prices but no more than that. Though I do note that the two major London airports have increased their ground handling fees by 20%. No doubt in a desperate attempt to push all that difficult trans- Atlantic trade to Schipol

We will see in the coming weeks if prices are adjusted. I booked earlier than this in previous years, and I've been watching the prices for several months now, so I'm not confident they will go down, but fingers crossed.

 

[TravellingMan22]

We will see in the coming weeks if prices are adjusted. I booked earlier than this in previous years, and I've been watching the prices for several months now, so I'm not confident they will go down, but fingers crossed.

There is concern in the airline industry about the capacity offered vs the expected high demand in 2025. Much of the concerns re capacity are due to late aircraft deliveries. Along with that are assessing of what is offered to /from Asia given the need in some cases to overfly Russia. Airlines can’t just increase prices by 10%, but if demand far outstrips supply, more seats further up the price ladder are sold and yield increases. Schedules for S25 will still be in work in many cases. That’s the technical background so what to do.

You have done well to get CAD800 to Europe previously. If it was me I would some do broad West Coast to Europe searches and see for example if there is a cheap flight into say Lisbon and plan from there. Or is there is capacity from LAX or SFO so can you go thru there. Often there are good fares over ORD too. Don’t search these as thru flights rather look at YVR to SFO/LAX/ORD as separate legs.

Most airlines have sales late December into January. Jan is the biggest selling month of the year for leisure traffic. Now that doesn’t mean the fares will nose dive but worth looking.

 

[JustJack]

If it was me I would some do broad West Coast to Europe searches and see for example if there is a cheap flight into say Lisbon and plan from there. Or is there is capacity from LAX or SFO so can you go thru there. Often there are good fares over ORD too. Don’t search these as thru flights rather look at YVR to SFO/LAX/ORD as separate legs.

Yeah there are definitely cheaper flights to other places. I can fly to Lisbon at that time for under $1,000. But Lisbon is a long way from SJPDP, and the cost and hassle of getting to SJPDP from somewhere other than Biarritz or Madrid eats up any cost savings... I've looked into probably every option available. Let's see what January brings.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Yeah there are definitely cheaper flights to other places. I can fly to Lisbon at that time for under $1,000. But Lisbon is a long way from SJPDP, and the cost and hassle of getting to SJPDP from somewhere other than Biarritz or Madrid eats up any cost savings... I've looked into probably every option available. Let's see what January brings

Sure just keep looking but start over Xmas. Obv a trade of on price vs ease. Had to fly to ORD a few weeks back when was in NYC. Lead in fare ex NYC was USD 220 so had a look at PHL to ORD and was only $50 so was worth a few hours on the bus from Port Authority to Philly in my view.

 

[trecile]

For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800.

That's CAD? That seems amazingly cheap. It would be worth it for me to drive up to Vancouver from Oregon for a price like that!

 

[TravellingMan22]

That's CAD? That seems amazingly cheap. It would be worth it for me to drive up to Vancouver from Oregon for a price like that!

Yes I thought so too!! I did pose the question but deleted it!

 

[JustJack]

Sure just keep looking but start over Xmas. Obv a trade of on price vs ease. Had to fly to ORD a few weeks back when was in NYC. Lead in fare ex NYC was USD 220 so had a look at PHL to ORD and was only $50 so was worth a few hours on the bus from Port Authority to Philly in my view.

You've got a few more options in the USA regarding flight hubs. But personally I'm happy to pay a premium to avoid having to transit in the US.

 

[JustJack]

That's CAD? That seems amazingly cheap. It would be worth it for me to drive up to Vancouver from Oregon for a price like that!

Yes that's CAD. Air France or KLM. And yes it would be worth it for you to drive here from Oregon, particularly considering how low the Canadian dollar is at the moment...

 

[TravellingMan22]

Yes that's CAD. Air France or KLM. And yes it would be worth it for you to drive here from Oregon, particularly considering how low the Canadian dollar is at the moment...

Has the CAD been declining versus the Euro.

 

[JustJack]

Has the CAD been declining versus the Euro.

Not as much as compared to the US$. The euro has also been declining against the US$. In the previous two years it was about $1.45 CAD for 1 euro. Today it's about $1.50 CAD for 1 euro. So Europe has gotten a bit more expensive, but not too much.

 

[TravellingMan22]

You've got a few more options in the USA regarding flight hubs. But personally I'm happy to pay a premium to avoid having to transit in the US.

Sure. At the lower end of the price market
It’s generally a trade off between price and convenience!

 

[C clearly]

For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400.

I have never found return tickets on major airlines from Vancouver to Spain, for C$800, for tickets from April through September.

Prices look to me to be similar to previous years.

 

[JustJack]

I have never found return tickets on major airlines from Vancouver to Spain, for C$800, for tickets from April through September.

Prices look to me to be similar to previous years.

That's unfortunate. In 2023 I flew YVR -> Paris -> Biaritz.... Porto -> Vancouver on Air France. Departed May 15. Cost was $800-something.

This spring I flew YVR -> Seville.... Madrid -> Vancouver on Air France. Departed YVR Apr 15. Cost was $800-something.

It depends a lot on which exact days you fly of course. A change of a few days would have increased the price substantially. But I find with most airlines there's at least one day a week that's significantly cheaper than the other days. Plus, I flew the lowest fare possible - meaning no checked bag. That would have added a couple hundred dollars to the price. But I didn't need to check a bag so no problem. (Although I really wish I could check a bag on the way home so I could bring back a bunch of bottles of olive oil...)

The same routing I took in 2023 with the same dates on Air France is $1400 this year, so quite an increase. But I'll hold off buying until next month and see what happens.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

@JustJack : Did you check Google flights? That's where I usually find my best deals.

If I search on Google flights for Vancovour to Madrid flights leaving about the middle of May and returning about the middle of June the cheapest flights were 950 Canadian dollars with lots of flights available between 1000 and 1100.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

I've been watching the prices and waiting to book my flight to Spain for May 2025, but the prices are about double what they were last year and the year before. For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400. (Spring break tickets to Asia are the same thing - double the price of last year).

Is everyone noticing the same thing, or is this a Canadian / west coast phenomenon?

You are looking to far in advance, advance purchases does not mean you will get cheap tickets.

 

[JustJack]

You are looking to far in advance, advance purchases does not mean you will get cheap tickets.

This spring and last year I bought my tickets much earlier. About 9 months before departure. Sometimes advance purchase does mean you get cheap tickets.

 

[JustJack]

@JustJack : Did you check Google flights? That's where I usually find my best deals.

If I search on Google flights for Vancovour to Madrid flights leaving about the middle of May and returning about the middle of June the cheapest flights were 950 Canadian dollars with lots of flights available between 1000 and 1100.

Yeah but once I pay to get from Madrid to SJPDP I’m no further ahead. Makes more sense to fly to Biarritz. Also, I’ll be retuning at the end of June, which I think is more expensive.

 

[TravellingMan22]

This spring and last year I bought my tickets much earlier. About 9 months before departure. Sometimes advance purchase does mean you get cheap tickets.

It’s hard to say. Every major airline manages manages every single flight and every single booking class on that flight in real time over the selling period other flight. Up to one year. It’s not really a blanket thing. Airlines can be cautious, especially in uncertain times, about releasing too much capacity, too early in the cheaper booking classes, as once it sold, its sold! The opposite of course of to maintain too high fares for too long and not be able to sell. Just keep watching and grab a good fare when you see one which i am sure you will.

CAD 1400 sounds quite good to me ex YVR at a relative attractive time of year on a one stop journey, and it seems you got an exceptional deal last year!!

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Yeah but once I pay to get from Madrid to SJPDP I’m no further ahead. Makes more sense to fly to Biarritz. Also, I’ll be retuning at the end of June, which I think is more expensive.

OK, in your original post, you said Spain. Biarritz is an airport that adds a flight and is in France and significantly more expensive.

But I agree, it makes much more sense to try to end up in Biarritz. Saves a lot of time. good luck and I hope you find what you want.

By the way, you can take a Blabla bus from Madrid to Bayonne for about €40. They seem to be only showing overnight ones now, but that may change. It's the cheapest way to get there.

 

[Charles Ross]

Flying to your Camino from the West Coast of the United States/Canada is a complex arrangement if you are trying to save a buck. I assume the CF is your walk. Some ideas and considerations:
1. Use Google Flights. You can put in 2-3 'track your flight' notifications: RT Vancouver-Paris, Madrid, Barcelona. You will see prices jump around quite a bit week-to-week.
2. Consider your tolerance for pain. Maybe it's not worth it to you to be in transit for another 6-8 hours in order to save 100 bucks in airfare.
3. Consider your time of arrival and departure from Europe. If your are arriving Madrid at 9:00 at night, it can screw everything up as far as expense and useful R and R.
4. Look at multi-city tickets. There are some surprisingly reasonable fares: Fly into Dono-San Sebastian, fly out of Santiago. I see an ok fare right now from PDX of @ $950. Dono-San Sebastian gives you good access to either Pamplona or SJpdP.
5. This isn't a money saver but consider one-way flights. You can get great prices TO Europe from the West Coast and about twice the price coming home. $450 going, @ $900 coming home if your are making the arrangements a couple of weeks in advance. Great flexibility there.
6. Join an airline club, either a single or a consortium of airlines. I particularly like Flying Blue which includes KLM, Delta, Air France among many others. I recently saw a one way fair PDX - CDG for 260 bucks!
7. Find a credit card that optimizes your points. We have Chase Cards that work pretty well. We rent here in PDX and just got a BILD C.C. that allows you to pay your rent free of charges, take the dollar-for-dollar points and transfer them to airline partners: Flying Blue, Alaska, Air Canada, United. Just paying my rent I figure I'm getting about a flight and a half for here in the States.
That's about it!!

 

[gkaplan]

I've been watching the prices and waiting to book my flight to Spain for May 2025, but the prices are about double what they were last year and the year before. For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400. (Spring break tickets to Asia are the same thing - double the price of last year).

Is everyone noticing the same thing, or is this a Canadian / west coast phenomenon?

For selected dates in May SFO - Barcelona is

I've been watching the prices and waiting to book my flight to Spain for May 2025, but the prices are about double what they were last year and the year before. For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400. (Spring break tickets to Asia are the same thing - double the price of last year).

Is everyone noticing the same thing, or is this a Canadian / west coast phenomenon?

For selected days in May Seattle to Barcelona is US$ 740 R/T. Googleflights.com

 

[gkaplan]

I've been watching the prices and waiting to book my flight to Spain for May 2025, but the prices are about double what they were last year and the year before. For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400. (Spring break tickets to Asia are the same thing - double the price of last year).

Is everyone noticing the same thing, or is this a Canadian / west coast phenomenon?

May 5 to June 18 SEA - BCN now US$700 R/T

 

[JustJack]

OK, in your original post, you said Spain. Biarritz is an airport that adds a flight and is in France and significantly more expensive.

Flying to Biarritz is about 100 euros more expensive than flying to Paris.

 

[stewinyvr]

I've been watching the prices and waiting to book my flight to Spain for May 2025, but the prices are about double what they were last year and the year before. For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400. (Spring break tickets to Asia are the same thing - double the price of last year).

Is everyone noticing the same thing, or is this a Canadian / west coast phenomenon?

Not sure if your prayers have been answered , but I started to get notifications of sub C$800 spring fares from YVR to MAD yesterday..Air Canada has lots of options via Montreal in this price range at the moment. Also cheap, but more inconvenient fares from YVR to Porto and Lisbon for late March early April..

 

[maruska89]

I have never found return tickets on major airlines from Vancouver to Spain, for C$800, for tickets from April through September.

Prices look to me to be similar to previous years.

In 2022 I flew to Madrid from Vancouver for $800 and also 2 years before that. This spring I was surprised that the prices were much higher. $1400 to Lyon, since I was hiking the TMB after the Portuguese Camino. I'm hoping prices don't increase too much as I'm hoping to walk a Camino every 2 years.

 

[SongKhonGair]

I don't know if this is of any help, but I noticed an Air Canada aircraft at the terminal in Toulouse last April. It was a Boeing aircraft, so it wasn't simply a new Airbus aircraft being delivered.

Canada - Toulouse seemed like an odd route, which is probably why I noticed it. If the demand is not huge, fares may be lower.

You can get a direct train from Toulouse to Bayonne.

 

[aralgate]

I've been watching the prices and waiting to book my flight to Spain for May 2025, but the prices are about double what they were last year and the year before. For the past two years I've manged to buy return tickets from Vancouver to Spain for around $800. For 2025 the cheapest I can find is around $1400. (Spring break tickets to Asia are the same thing - double the price of last year).

Is everyone noticing the same thing, or is this a Canadian / west coast phenomenon?

Just booked YYZ to MAD $1,400 and is 50% more than last year YYZ to LIS

 

[trecile]

Just booked YYZ to MAD $1,400 and is 50% more than last year YYZ to LIS

What month did you book for?

 

[Bedspring]

I use this website https://www.airhint.com/

 

[JustJack]

Just booked YYZ to MAD $1,400 and is 50% more than last year YYZ to LIS

Flights from Vancouver to Lisbon are always significantly cheaper than flights to MAD. Probably the same thing from Toronto. Check the fares to Lisbon and you'll probably find they are still cheap. I can fly to Lisbon next spring from YVR for around $800, but same flight to MAD is around $1400.

 

[JustJack]

I use this website https://www.airhint.com/

I hope you're just using that site to check prices and aren't actually buying anything from them...

 

[stewinyvr]

I have never found return tickets on major airlines from Vancouver to Spain, for C$800, for tickets from April through September.

Prices look to me to be similar to previous years.

Condor has flights in May/June YVR to MAD right now for $850 including bags..

 

[domigee]

It is the same in Europe. I fly to Spain frequently and - in winter- what used to be 25 pounds is now 85+
(if you're lucky)
Prices have tripled since Covid

 

[Freewalker]

Just keep checking google flights search engine from Van and TO to Madrid or Paris or Lisbon.
Then book directly with airline.
Do you have Aeroplan points or other airline points that can get you to TO ?
I just booked a flight with BA via London to Lisbon for $410 CAD return . I never pay more than $550 return.
Madrid is a bit pricier but you can always fly to Lisbon and transfer to Ryanair or Easyjet. Or fly Westjet as connected with Easyjet. The connection time is never longer than a few hours. I don't mind if I'll be walking for 4-5 weeks and it saves me $400-500 !!

 

[TrvlDad1]

I’ve been watching BIO in late March for several weeks and it’s moving around $970 from ATL. I’ll probably book in January, hopefully around $900.

 

[aralgate]

What month did you book for?

Mid April, return May 30 with last 2 weeks of April as Hospitalaros near Saraghun

 

[Bedspring]

I hope you're just using that site to check prices and aren't actually buying anything from them...

I tend use it to track the prices, but it would be helpful if you said why you hope I am not buying from them.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I tend use it to track the prices, but it would be helpful if you said why you hope I am not buying from them.

I don’t think it’s them specifically, but best advice is to try and book direct with the carrier. If things go wrong dealing direct tends to be easier than dealing with a third parties.

Additionally…

Airlines rarely give a cheaper rate to third parties to sell, but often agents will cross subsidise and offer a cheaper rate that undercuts the carrier fare. Normally only a few USD but will often close the sale.

Ancilaries such as seat selection, additional bags will often be a lot more on agencies, as they may have a free hand on this. Example, an additional second bag, or say a change of flight which the airline may offer as in its T and C’s but may well incur a fee from an agency.

Use the ‘screenscrapers’ Skyscanner, Kayak, Google to find best price/product and book with carrier.

 

[Bedspring]

I don’t think it’s them specifically, but best advice is to try and book direct with the carrier. If things go wrong dealing direct tends to be easier than dealing with a third parties.

Additionally…

Airlines rarely give a cheaper rate to third parties to sell, but often agents will cross subsidise and offer a cheaper rate that undercuts the carrier fare. Normally only a few USD but will often close the sale.

Ancilaries such as seat selection, additional bags will often be a lot more on agencies, as they may have a free hand on this. Example, an additional second bag, or say a change of flight which the airline may offer as in its T and C’s but may well incur a fee from an agency.

Use the ‘screenscrapers’ Skyscanner, Kayak, Google to find best price/product and book with carrier.

I often use Booking.com, for long haul, and its a lot more than a few USD, its 00s of £s, for short and medium I just use the carrier.

 

[trecile]

I often use Booking.com, for long haul, and its a lot more than a few USD, its 00s of £s, for short and medium I just use the carrier.

And booking.com uses GoToGate, so that's another layer between you and the airline if something goes wrong.

 

[Bedspring]

And booking.com uses GoToGate, so that's another layer between you and the airline if something goes wrong.

Accepting booking with the carrier direct, is the gold standard, if you saw the same flight for £1200 direct and £750 via Booking.com which would you book

 

[TravellingMan22]

Accepting booking with the carrier direct, is the gold standard, if you saw the same flight for £1200 direct and £750 via Booking.com which would you book

Do you mean same flight/same day and exactly the same T and C’s? Can you provide example please.

 

[Bedspring]

Do you mean same flight/same day and exactly the same T and C’s? Can you provide example please.

I am probably (thats definitely) exaggerating there, but have had it where the difference is has been between a £100 and £200. Also I have found with some carriers it is easier to book on my phone via Booking.com or MyTrip than via the carriers website in a language I do not understand, so have been happier with the clarity of not booking direct. Also, for a UK citizen using a Credit Card, the Credit Card issuer is jointly liable for the product. So not totally clear what risk I am actually taking.

 

[peregrina2000]

I am probably (thats definitely) exaggerating there, but have had it where the difference is has been between a £100 and £200. Also I have found with some carriers it is easier to book on my phone via Booking.com or MyTrip than via the carriers website in a language I do not understand, so have been happier with the clarity of not booking direct. Also, for a UK citizen using a Credit Card, the Credit Card issuer is jointly liable for the product. So not totally clear what risk I am actually taking.

Hi, @Bedspring,
Hoping this never happens to you, but if there is a flight snafu - cancellation, huge delay, airport shutdown, etc, if you have booked directly with the airline you will get much better service. I remember once being stuck on Madeira. We had booked directly with TAP, and got put up in a 4 star hotel for a day, with meals, and a taxi to the airport the next morning for an early morning flight. The people I met there the day before had booked iwth a third person (Expedia, orbitz, Priceline, etc) and they had spent the night in the airport and were not sure when they were going to get back to Lisbon. They did not get on our early flight.

You can get the cheapest prices and book directly with the airline by using either googleflights or Kayak. They bring up the schedule and the price and then let you click a link to transfer you to the airline website (all major airlines have English language websites) to buy the flight you’ve clicked on. You should check it out. More info here.

 

[Charles Ross]

I'm seeing a $942, multi-city airfare March 31st - May 6th from the West Coast of the United States. American Air, Portland, Oregon - Pamplona, Santiago - Portland. It's an 18 hour flight both ways. It's a lot of money, I think, but does save time and transportation costs from the beginning of the Frances and the end in Santiago.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I have only once booked with an agent rather than the airline. That was because they promised to protect your connections and I had three short haul European flights within 6 hours (similar there and back) and they were with different airlines and no way to have one ticket. As it happened, everything went to plan, and I probably wouldn't do it again. I think extras like baggage are more expensive though an agent and I have no idea what would actually have happened if there had been an issue.