While companies making supersonic jets are promising four-hour flights between London and New York, the numbers show that most people are more concerned with ticket price than speed.
Jet fuel is, according to the IATA, up by almost 150% from last year while the latest numbers from Adobe Analytics (ADBE) found that domestic flight prices in June were up 30% since 2019 and 47% since January 2022.
Even though international airfare only rose in the single digits, the higher base fares mean that many are still looking for affordable options for that European, Asian or South American vacation.
For those willing to put up with out-of-the-way airports and extra fees for everything from baggage to water, budget airlines have long been an option for those looking for a cheap way to get across the ocean.
A New Icelandic Airline Called Play
While they are more common for travel between different European cities, EasyJet (EJTTF) and Norwegian Airlines also run a few flights to American cities on the East Coast.
Launched in 2019, Icelandic airline Play just launched a new flight between Washington, D.C., and Reykjavik.
This is the airline's fourth destination in the U.S. and, to promote the new route, Play is offering those who book a round-trip ticket before Aug. 26 a $99 fare each way.
After the promotion, prices will go back to approximately $200 each way while the airline expects to do one daily flight in each direction on Airbus A320neo and A321 planes.
"We're just really looking forward to starting it and taking the next step in the U.S. market, which has been very good to us so far," Play CEO Birgir Jonsson told USA Today.
Similarly to competitor Iceland Air, Play hopes to serve as a connector for North American travelers connecting to other European destinations.
At the moment, Play already offers flights between New York, Baltimore and Boston.
Flying Costs, Inflation and Airport Chaos
This is a very good time to introduce new routes or even airlines — with most air companies not rehiring workers laid off during the pandemic fast enough to meet demand, airports are dealing with winding check-in lines and entire halls filled with luggage.
At the start of July, Delta (DAL) even flew an Airbus A330-200 with no passengers but over 1,000 pieces of luggage from London to Detroit just to transport all the luggage that became separated from owners because airports did not have the staff necessary to handle it.
To lessen the blow even a little, London Heathrow and Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam both introduced caps that limit the number of passengers who can take off on a given day into the fall.
But while the summer is indeed a time when many decided to take trips they put off for the last two years, the problem is expected to continue as there is an ongoing industry shortage of everyone from pilots and flight attendants to baggage handlers.
"One reason we had a difficult summer was because the system was strained so heavily by the pilot shortage, by the airplane shortage, now shortages at air traffic control," Scott Keyes, founder of flight deals site Scott's Cheap Flights, told CNN. "But with Labor Day looking to be a smaller travel period than earlier in the summer, I'm more confident that things won't be quite the meltdown we saw earlier this summer."
