This is a silver lining inside of a cloud article. If you think of yourself as a thrifty traveler, it's right up your aisle.
The cloud is this: airfare is spiking. That "cloud" is understandable given fuel prices.
The effect is this: A new study recently released by Talker Research shows that Americans are scaling back travel spending this year, with 58% planning to spend less than they did last year, according to new research.
The silver linings playbook: Now comes new data from Going.com with a "silver lining" – that there are a bevy of destinations in its annual Cheapest Cities report that reveal not just where airfare can still be affordable, but how dramatic the gap has become between what the average traveler pays and what a Going member pays.
$468 roundtrip to Spain, for example.
Barcelona, No. 1 on Going's European list, averaged that sub-$500 deal roundtrip for Going members versus the normal economy fare for the same routes of $913. That’s nearly 50% savings on a single ticket.
Gary P Guthrie
The destination shuffle: what's rising, what's falling
The in-a-nutshell version of this? Smart Senior Daily asked Going's travel expert Katy Nastro for her take.
“We tend to forget that pre-fuel spikes, airfare looked pretty normal when it came to affordability," said Nastro.
"Since March, however, we have been amid turbulent times. Getting a cheap flight feels harder than sticking to a strict budget at a specialty food store. If you're still looking to travel this year, even amid higher prices, there is still savings to be had if you know where to look.”
There's no place like home
Orlando holds the No. 1 US spot with low-cost carrier deals as low as $38 roundtrip in the past year against a normal fare of $395, part of a broader cascade effect driven by Southwest's more aggressive fare sales pressuring competitors across its focus cities.
Is it the pasta or is it the luck of the Irish?
As we mentioned, in Europe, Barcelona claimed the No. 1 spot this year, with Milan rising to No. 2 and Dublin coming in at No. 3.
The continued rise of Italian cities reflects a structural shift: competition among European carriers from hubs like London, Paris, and Amsterdam, amplified by new U.S. nonstops to Naples, Palermo, Catania, Bari, Venice, and Olbia, has cascaded into more affordable fares across the board.
But three places that were on the gotta-have-it list just a year ago have dropped out of the Top 10 entirely: Amsterdam, London, and Reykjavik – all casualties of struggling lower-cost carriers and consistently high business travel demand.
Want to broaden your horizons a bit?
San José, Costa Rica and Guatemala City scored the top two south of us, reflecting a wider shift toward Caribbean and Central American destinations as airlines fight for leisure travelers on shorthaul routes.
For travelers with a specific region in mind: Tokyo for Asia, Auckland for Oceania, and Bogotá for South America.
