The average cost for a domestic flight in the U.S. went up 25% from the start of 2026 to April 27, according to Kayak’s online dashboard, while international flights have gone up 62%. But hold on to your seats, because experts agree that the closure of Spirit Airlines is about to make flights even more expensive.
Spirit’s flights accounted for less than 2% of total flights in the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal, but they still helped establish a baseline for how cheap airline tickets could get in consumers’ minds. That kept ticket prices more reasonable, especially when Spirit was directly competing with the larger carriers on certain routes.
When Spirit abandoned several U.S. routes during tough times for the company between the second quarter of 2024 and the second quarter of 2025, the average price on those routes soared by 23%, according to the Journal. And we’re about to see something similar happen to airfares in the U.S. more broadly.
Spirit was already struggling before the start of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, which was launched Feb. 28. But the war only made things worse, cutting off 20% of the world’s oil supply, which travels through the Strait of Hormuz. That has caused oil and natural gas prices to skyrocket, with the price of jet fuel doubling. In response, airlines in Europe and Asia have started to cancel flights entirely. Two 2 million seats were cancelled for May in the past two weeks alone, according to the Financial Times. U.S. airlines have also jacked up fees for baggage to make up for the higher costs.
Kayak’s online dashboard for average prices on flights helps tell the story city by city. The average price for a flight to Atlanta before the war was $222. By April 27, the latest data available, that price was $263. A flight to Salt Lake City was averaging $376 before the war and jumped to $413 by April 27. Flights to Honolulu? They were averaging $534 before the war, and jumped to $628 on April 27. With Spirit shut down, you can bet those prices are only going to climb.
President Trump posted on Sunday about how he would start something called Project Freedom to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Two U.S.-flagged ships did reportedly transit the Strait, but American warships came under heavy assault, and Iran launched missiles and drones against targets in the UAE, successfully hitting an important oil facility on Monday. No ships have passed through the Strait thus far on Tuesday, according to Axios.
Trump was asked about fuel prices during an Oval Office press conference on Tuesday, where he insisted that costs would go back down after the war and even go lower than they had before. He previously claimed the war would only last 4-6 weeks. Trump also said that the world should buy more U.S. oil.
“When I did this, I thought the market would go down 25%, and I thought this was a great deal,” said Trump. “I also thought oil would go up to $200, $250, maybe $300. I looked today, and it’s like at $102. That’s a very small price to pay for getting rid of a nuclear weapon from people who are really mentally deranged.”
President Trump’s rationale for the war has shifted since it began in February. Initially, the president emphasized that it was about regime change in Iran, but he’s more recently insisted it was about keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. While the U.S. did assassinate Iran’s top leader, the regime remains intact, and there doesn’t appear to be any change in status with regard to Iran’s nuclear material. If anything, Trump’s attacks have made it clear that the only thing that can truly keep a country safe from American aggression is having nuclear weapons. North Korea, for example, hasn’t been invaded because that country’s nuclear program deters U.S. attacks.
Roughly 1,500 commercial ships carrying 22,500 people are currently stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And with Project Freedom seemingly a disaster, that won’t change anytime soon unless Trump can reach a deal with the Iranians. In the meantime, the price of gasoline and jet fuel will continue to rise, and everyone will be paying more for transportation around the globe.
If you’re thinking of altering your summer travel plans and driving instead of flying, you probably already know why that will also be more expensive. The average price of a gallon of gas was $4.48 on Tuesday, according to AAA, up significantly from $2.98 before the war started.
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