Average airfares in July 2026 ran nearly 26% above July 2025, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Fall is normally when prices cool off. Not this year. Expedia says fall fares are trending about 2% higher than summer’s, and its fall travel outlook puts the reason bluntly: “Summer demand has spilled into fall.”
Going, the flight-deal service, pegs domestic roundtrips this autumn at roughly $150 to $400. Flights to Europe run as high as $800 roundtrip. The Caribbean tops out around $500.
Pick the airport and the airline
Going went through its 2026 deal data to see which US airports have sent out the cheapest departures. For domestic flights, New Orleans produced the most deals, 166 at about $228 on average. Denver had 150 averaging $219, and Orlando 146 averaging $211. Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Charleston, Raleigh-Durham, Tampa, Portland and Las Vegas also made the list.
Boston leads for international fares, with 415 deals at about $451 roundtrip. New York’s JFK has seen 404 at an average of $445, and Newark 333 at roughly $450. Chicago, Los Angeles, Raleigh-Durham, Orlando, Miami, Washington Dulles and Austin round out that list.
If a drive or a train ride gets you to one of those airports, the savings can be real.
The carrier matters too. Going found American has run the most domestic deals this year, 646 so far, while United leads on international routes with 1,850 and counting.
Timing and flexibility
Jennifer Yellin, managing editor of Points Path, says flexibility with both dates and destination is the key to cheaper fall flights. Her tip: use a search tool that shows several days at once, such as Google Flights. “You might find shifting your dates by a date or two in either direction can save you a significant amount of money,” she says.
Expedia and Going data both point to Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays as the cheapest days to fly. Pushing a trip into later October or the first week of November may also catch lower fares, before the winter holidays start.
Thanksgiving week is usually a reliable window for international deals, since domestic travel surges then. This year it is less so. Going puts the average international roundtrip around Thanksgiving at $1,096, still below December’s $1,695. Its advice for anyone chasing an international fare: fly on Thanksgiving Day itself to save up to 25%, and book by early October.
Frequent flier miles and credit card points can stretch further, too. Points Path plugs into Google Flights and, in Yellin’s words, will “tell you if using cash or points is a better deal, without having to search multiple airline websites individually.” Going names New York (JFK), Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth as the departure airports with the most points-and-miles deals.
Where fares are dipping
Anna LaBrie, Going’s senior PR manager, says Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, the ABC islands and Scandinavia are “seeing nice shoulder season fare dips.” She also suggests watching Japan, Southeast Asia and Mexico, the last outside Día de Muertos.
At home, LaBrie points to Hawaii, Florida, Phoenix, the Pacific Northwest, Atlanta, the Carolinas and San Diego as softer this fall. Ski towns such as Jackson Hole and Aspen are the ones to avoid, since fares there are starting to climb.
Going’s recent fall finds include Boston to Madrid for $517 roundtrip, a 49% discount, and Los Angeles to Tokyo for $613 roundtrip, 48% below the usual price.
