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By Jaryn Vecchio

Traveling for the Holidays

Planning to travel for the holidays? Expect to pay more than you’re used to

Dec 9, 2022 | 12:05 PM

People waiting until the last minute to buy a plane ticket for a trip around the upcoming holidays are going to have to cough up quite a bit of money.

That’s according to Mike Bayda, the owner of Lobstick Travel in Prince Albert, who told paNOW he’s never seen prices this high for Christmas and New Year’s Day in his roughly 30 years in the industry.

He explained the prices each year, even as far back as the early 90s, averaged around $500 and $600.

“(Now) if you can get something for $1,500 you’re doing good and if it’s after Christmas, good luck. Most of the stuff is $2,000 plus,” said Bayda.

This is because demand is high, but capacity isn’t. Mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing issues, routes have been canceled while airlines are shrinking the number of trips between cities.

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“There’s no incentive for the airlines to add a bunch of routes and to expand overnight because they’re making money and the risk of getting bigger is too high,” said Bayda.

Despite the high costs, people are still buying tickets.

Bayda noted there have been a few people who’ve changed their minds, specifically after he told them they’d be better off saving their money during the pandemic. However, most people simply bite the bullet.

“People go ‘I’m not paying $2,000’ and all of a sudden ‘if I don’t I’m not going on a holiday,’” said Bayda. “If they’re determined to go on a holiday, they’re gonna spend.”

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow