Spring break travelers are experiencing sticker shock due to increasing airfare prices.

• Spring break travelers are experiencing sticker shock as they attempt to book flights.
• Over the past year, the cost of a domestic round-trip ticket has increased by 26% to an average of $290, according to travel app Hopper.
• The surge is being driven by the increase in fuel costs resulting from Russia's conflict in Ukraine.

Elizabeth Smith was taken aback upon discovering the cost of a roundtrip ticket from Spokane, Washington, to Orlando, Florida, for this year's spring break, six years after her family's initial Disney World trip.

In 2016, seven of us went and paid $350 for round-trip airfare per person. Currently, the same flights we were hoping to go on cost over $1,000 per person, as Smith, an Idaho schoolteacher, told CNBC. "We were really shocked. Not in a million years would I think that I needed to have as much for airfare that I did for Disney," Smith added.

For months, the mother of three searched various websites for affordable flights, including Google Flights, Kayak, and Expedia.

"Google, like everything else, advised against buying now, stating that better prices were expected. Consequently, I chose to wait," she stated.

But those prices never came down.

Smith stated that his students were originally planning to fly to visit their families during spring break, but due to the high cost of airline tickets, they are unable to go or will have to drive instead.

The average price of a domestic round-trip ticket has increased by 26% to $290, while the average international ticket costs $730 round-trip, according to travel app Hopper, which analyzes historical airfare data. The surge in ticket prices is attributed to rising fuel costs resulting from Russia's war in Ukraine.

Anna Thompson, a college freshman at Miami University in Ohio, had been planning her spring break trip for several months.

She said, "I started looking at the West Coast. Really, anywhere warm was my focus. I also began to look south, exploring regions such as Florida and Louisiana."

Her plans to relax with friends at the beach were canceled due to the high cost.

Thompson informed CNBC that the flight prices were much higher than he anticipated. He recalled checking the prices months earlier, which were around $100 to $150. However, upon rechecking, he discovered that they had increased significantly, with some flights costing over $300 and $400.

She ultimately found a cheap flight to Boston, where her brother lives, using a travel app, as Thompson said.

Busy travel season

According to Hopper economist Adit Damodaran, approximately 2 million travelers are passing through TSA security checkpoints on weekends, which accounts for about 85% to 90% of 2019 volumes. This indicates that travel demand is increasing and the airports are getting busier.

According to data from STR, the average daily rate for hotel check-ins is currently $144, which represents a 40% increase compared to the same period last year.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and global oil concerns have caused crude and jet fuel prices to reach their highest levels in 13 years, according to analysts.

Airlines are raising airfare due to the higher jet fuel prices they have to deal with, according to Damodaran.

Hopper's 2022 Spring Break travel report predicts that domestic airfare will increase by an average of 7% each month until July. However, it is difficult to accurately forecast international airfare due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine and Russia, according to Damodaran.

If geopolitics remain a major concern, travel experts predict that Americans will reassess transatlantic travel. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, flight searches from the U.S. to Europe have decreased by 9 percent compared to anticipated levels, according to Hopper.

On Tuesday, Booking Holdings, the world's largest online travel platform, revealed that room occupancy decreased by 10% in the past week compared to 2019 levels, mainly due to Eastern Europe and Russia.

Jan Freitag, national director for Hospitality Market Analytics at CoStar, stated that travelers may remain closer to home until the situation eases a little.

Tips to save on travel

To save money on domestic trips, travelers should book tickets three to four weeks in advance, with a deadline of no later than the departure date, according to Damodaran. He advises starting to track prices early to secure the best deals.

To avoid the biggest price increases for international trips, Damodaran recommends booking at least four weeks in advance.

Domodaran recommends adjusting the days of travel for both domestic and international trips to save a little bit of money. Fridays are typically the most expensive days to depart, while Sundays are the most expensive days to return. If you have some flexibility, changing the day of your travel can help you save money.

By shifting her dates, Liz Smith was able to find cheaper flights to Disney the first week of April. However, she and her family will have to compromise on their travel plans.

Smith informed CNBC that he had to take more time off work because his kids will be out of school for a couple of days. He lamented that this was not what they had hoped for, but it seemed to be the inevitable consequence.