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!!