Traveling costs on the rise

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Traveling by land and air is getting back to where it was before COVID-19, but that means the prices are also getting higher.

“When you ask the question, ‘How does our summer look? ' We base that on the amount of seats that we have,” Jason Burch with the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport said Monday, May 8.

CHO says it is back to about 80% capacity since the start of the pandemic, serving about 1,100 people per day.

“We do see the main airlines - American, United and Delta - all trying to recover as quickly as they can and bring in new aircraft type,” Burch said.

Nationally, price trends are on the incline.

“We’ve seen some record numbers this year,” Morgan Dean with AAA said. “That’s despite the fact that they’re up about 20% to 30% over what people were paying for tickets last year.”

Flights at CHO are, on average, slightly more expensive than Richmond.

“I think that there’s a lot to be said about the convenience of flying in and out of Charlottesville, you know? When you’re home, you’re home, and I think that’s a big deal. So, $40 difference, I think, is also a big deal. You know, I think it’s great,” Burch said.

Looking at the roads, AAA says about 80 - 90% of vacations are taken by car. Gas prices are down $0.87 from this time last year, according to AAA.

“That may encourage a few more people to say, ‘You know what? Maybe I can’t afford to travel this summer, let me jump in the car and get in a trip that I didn’t think I might be able to make,’” Dean said.

Booking far in advance - whether it comes to flights, hotels, or cars - can save you in the long run.

“The farther out you can book, the better options you’ll get on where you might get to stay, the rental car you might want to borrow,” Dean said. “The further out you do that, the better off you can guarantee that you’re getting exactly what you want to get.”

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