Shoulder-Season Travel Discounts Are Shrinking as Demand Rises

According to CNBC, the traditional savings from traveling during shoulder season are fading, with airfare and hotel discounts in some cases disappearing as demand rises and overall travel costs climb. Hopper data showed U.S. round-trip flights in fall were 20% cheaper than summer in 2023, but prices this fall are now slightly above summer fares, while Expedia found lodging prices are 20% higher in fall than summer in the top 10 U.S. destinations and airfare is up 2%. For international travel, Hopper said fall fares from the U.S. to Mexico and Central America are now roughly equal to summer prices in 2026, compared with 11% cheaper four years ago. The company also found fall savings have narrowed for flights to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and Oceania. Expedia said flights from the U.S. to the top 10 international destinations are 3.2% more expensive this fall than in summer, while lodging is 0.7% higher.