| | Summer airfare predictions | | by David Slotnick, Senior Aviation Business Reporter | |  | It may only be February, but the signs are already there: It will be another summer of blockbuster travel demand, especially to Europe. But what about prices?
Airfares are notoriously tricky to predict, especially this far in advance. But the early data is starting to show us what to expect.
First, the bad news for price-conscious travelers: High demand generally means high prices, and demand is surging. By the end of January, travelers had booked roughly 13% more peak-summer flights to Europe than during the same time a year ago, and prices were up an average of 4%.
The good news: If you include May and September in the summer travel season, prices were down 5% on average, according to other data, so the start and end of summer could be a good time to snag a deal. Plus, at least one analyst predicts that airlines have added too much supply to the transatlantic market, which could mean prices will fall as we move through the rest of winter and the spring.
You can set alerts to track airfare on Google Flights and use TPG's calculator to determine if you should pay with cash or points.
Regardless of the fare, if you use the right credit card, you will be earning points for future travel. It's never too early to start planning, so here are a few more resources to check out:
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