fares, especially international fares, reaching point where travelers just won't go
International flight fares are higher than ever, and Americans aren’t going to take it any more.
Travel Leaders' Stephanie Fleming tells 1200 WOAI news that to get to London this summer, round trip consumers will shell out from $1,000 to $1,500 or more.
And fuel prices aren't to blame.
"The majority of that is taxes.
You can get a base fare of $600.00 to London but the rest of that fare is taxes. "
A recent Travel Leaders survey shows
that 80% of their customers have a tipping point when it comes to paying for flights to Europe ... and it hits that $1,500.00 mark ...
though many flights can be even higher.
"They want to pay about $1,200.00 but when it starts to hit $1,500.00 or
$1,700.00 consumers start looking for later dates," says Fleming ...
or think about not going at all.
And high season or low season has nothing to do with it.
"It's not just summer and that's the thing.
It is year 'round right now but the taxes are the taxes and it might go down a
little bit on the base fare, but the taxes are pretty much going to stay the same," says Fleming.
She says no one can predict when lower fares will return ...
if at all.
