Rise in Summer Air Travel Expected

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Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

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The U.S. Air Transport Association (ATA) released a statement predicting a slight rise in summer air passenger traffic. According to Reuters, the bulk of that growth will come from international routes, with U.S. domestic air travel numbers remaining similar to last year.

The ATA also mentions that summer fuel prices will likely be 20 percent higher year-over-year compared to last summer. I’m seeing a pattern starting to form here—more travelers, higher fuel prices—that doesn’t bode well for last-minute airfare bookers.

Are you planning to travel this summer? Will you be staying in the U.S. or taking an international trip? And maybe most importantly, have you already booked?

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