Why Are Flights So Expensive Right Now? (2026)

TL;DR: US fares were up 22.4% YoY in Sept 2026, driven mainly by jet fuel prices (+79% since Feb 2026, tied to the Iran conflict), plus demand and staffing costs. Recommends booking now, staying flexible, and using BNPL/crypto to spread payment.

Why Are Flights So Expensive Right Now?

Flights are expensive because airlines are paying far more for fuel and passing that cost on to passengers. US airline fares were 22.4% higher in September 2026 than in September 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) consumer price index for airline fares (not seasonally adjusted). That is down from a peak of 26.7% in May 2026, but fares are still well above last year's.

The trigger is the Iran conflict, which IATA and CBS News both name as the cause of the fuel spike. US Gulf Coast jet fuel cost $2.47 a gallon in the week of February 27, 2026 and $4.42 in the week of October 2, 2026, about 79% more, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The price has not moved in a straight line: it fell to $2.79 in late June, then climbed to a high of $4.58 in the week of September 18. Strong demand, tight capacity and higher labor costs add to the bill.

The good news is that you don't have to pay it all upfront. With buy now, pay later flights, you book at today's fare and spread the cost over several payments, interest-free on many plans if you pay on time.

All figures in this post are the latest available on October 14, 2026.

Why Are Flight Prices So High in 2026?

Four things are pushing fares up at the same time: fuel, demand, capacity and labor.

Jet Fuel: The Cost That Moved Most

Fuel is one of the main reasons flights cost more. In its June 7, 2026 outlook, IATA expects jet fuel to make up 31.4% of airline operating costs in 2026, up from 25.4% in 2025. It puts the industry's 2026 fuel bill at about $350 billion, nearly 40% more than the $252 billion airlines paid in 2025, and assumes jet fuel will average $152 a barrel this year, almost 70% above the 2025 average of $90. When a cost that large jumps, airlines pass it on through fares.

Crude oil took the same ride. Europe Brent spot first closed above $100 a barrel on March 12, 2026 ($102.38) and peaked at $138.21 in the week of April 6, according to EIA daily data. It fell back to $70.16 on June 26, close to its February average of $70.89. The July average was $83.76, about 18% above February, and the week of August 10 averaged about $92.50, about 30% above. On October 2, 2026, Brent was at $135.51.

Travel Demand Is Still Strong

People are still booking despite higher prices. CBS News (July 9, 2026) reported "robust demand for summer travel," and ARC data in the same report show that the average ticket booked through a travel agency in May 2026 cost 18% more than a year earlier. The post-pandemic shift toward spending on experiences rather than things has held up. When planes are filling up, airlines have little reason to lower fares.

Crew Shortages and Fewer Aircraft

Two longer-running problems limit how many flights airlines can add. There are no dated figures for either in this post, so treat them as background rather than measured causes.

The crew shortage began during the pandemic. Airlines cut training programs and offered early retirements in 2020 and 2021, and that gap has not been fully filled. On the aircraft side, Boeing's ongoing production problems and supply chain delays for spare parts mean airlines can't add flights as fast as demand grows. Fewer crews and fewer planes mean fewer seats, and that pushes up the price of each one.

Rising Labor Costs

Labor is airlines' largest expense, and fuel is the second largest, according to CBS News (July 9, 2026). Major carriers have reportedly signed new contracts with pilot unions and ground crews over the past two years. The raises are well-deserved, but they add to the costs that fares have to cover.

The Numbers at a Glance: Airline fares up 22.4% on a year earlier (BLS, September 2026). Jet fuel up about 79% since late February (EIA, US Gulf Coast, week of October 2, 2026). Fuel forecast at 31.4% of airline operating costs in 2026, up from 25.4% in 2025 (IATA, June 2026).

How Much More Are You Actually Paying?

The BLS airline fares index is the dated measure used here, and it covers the US as a whole. Your route can be higher or lower: prices vary with the route, the airline and how far ahead you book.

On the seasonally adjusted series, fares have risen in every month of 2026 so far, by 24.5% in total from December 2025 to September 2026. January had the biggest jump, at 6.5%, followed by 1.4% in February, 2.7% in March and 2.8% in April. The table shows the months since.

2026	Change from previous month (seasonally adjusted)	Change from same month of 2025 (not seasonally adjusted)
May	+2.7%	+26.7%
June	+0.2%	+26.5%
July	+2.2%	+25.5%
August	+2.7%	+23.4%
September	+1.2%	+22.4%

The two columns tell slightly different stories. The gap with last year has narrowed since May, and on the raw, not seasonally adjusted index, fares peaked in May and slipped in June, July and August. Adjusted for the usual seasonal pattern, they kept rising. Against a longer baseline, July 2026 fares were 19.2% above July 2019 on the seasonally adjusted series.

When Will Flights Get Cheaper?

Realistically, don't expect fares to fall quickly, even if fuel does. CBS News (July 9, 2026) describes the pattern as "rockets and feathers": fares rise fast when oil goes up and come down slowly when it falls, and airlines have little reason to cut fares while demand stays strong. This year's data fits. Jet fuel fell to $2.79 a gallon in the week of June 26, yet seasonally adjusted fares still rose 2.2% in July and 2.7% in August.

Fuel may not get much cheaper soon, either. In its June 7, 2026 outlook, IATA said jet fuel prices are likely to stay elevated for some time even if the conflict ends soon, and Brent was back at $135.51 a barrel on October 2.

To follow it yourself, watch two numbers: the EIA weekly jet fuel price and the BLS monthly airline fares index.

TIP: Waiting Is a Gamble Until fuel and fares both turn down, holding out for a cheaper fare is a bet. If you have found a fare you can afford, book it to lock in the price, and use a flexible payment option so the upfront cost doesn't stop you from traveling.

How to Save Money on Flights Right Now

Even in an expensive market, you can cut what you pay:

Book when you find a fare you can afford. Start looking early so you have time to compare, rather than holding out for a drop the data doesn't show yet.
Be flexible with dates. Shifting your trip by a day or two can change the fare, so compare prices across the whole week before you pick a day.
Set price alerts. Tools like Google Flights can tell you when the fare on your route drops.
Consider nearby airports. Flying into a secondary airport, like Oakland instead of SFO, can cost less.
Use Buy Now Pay Later. Book at today's price and pay in installments instead of waiting for prices to drop.
Pay with crypto. If you hold BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC or CRO, you can pay for your flight with it and avoid credit card interest entirely.

What Are Buy Now Pay Later Flights?

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) lets you book a flight now and split the total into smaller payments over weeks or months. Your fare is set when you book, and a missed payment can bring a late fee. For the full explainer, see how buy now, pay later flights work.

BNPL helps most when flights are this expensive:

You lock in today's price. If fares keep rising, you have already booked your ticket at the lower rate.
No need to save up first. Book when you find a good fare instead of when your savings account is ready.
Interest-free options. Many pay-in-4 plans charge 0% interest if you pay on time, so the flexibility costs nothing extra. Late fees and some monthly plans do cost money.
A schedule you can plan around. You choose from the schedules the provider offers at checkout. Pay-in-4 plans take a payment every two weeks, and some providers also offer monthly plans.

At Laters.com you can pay with Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm, PayPal Pay in 4, Splitit or Zip. Laters adds no booking fee or payment surcharge for these options. Each provider's own fees still apply: late fees, and for Zip in the US, an origination fee of up to $124. You can compare flight payment plans or see all ways to pay for flights.

Explore Buy Now Pay Later Flights and book your trip at today's fare.

Which BNPL Providers Work for Flights?

Here is how each provider works on Laters.com in the US, with the fees each one charges.

Afterpay: Pay in 4, four payments over about six weeks, interest-free when paid on time. The late fee is up to $8 per missed payment, and total late fees are capped at 25% of the order.
Klarna: Pay in 4, four interest-free payments two weeks apart. A $1,000 fare becomes four $250 payments, the first at purchase. The late fee is up to $7 per missed payment, capped at 25% of the order. Pay in 3 is Klarna's UK plan, not its US one.
Affirm: Pay in 4 at 0% APR, four payments every two weeks. Monthly plans can carry interest and need approval, so check Affirm's rate and term at checkout.
PayPal Pay in 4: a down payment at purchase, then three payments every two weeks, interest-free and with no additional fees. It covers fares from $10 to $2,000.
Splitit: splits a payment on the credit card you already have into installments, with no Splitit interest as long as you pay your card balance in full each month. Your card issuer's terms still apply, and Splitit's digital-wallet installments carry a finance charge.
Zip: Pay in 2, Pay in 4 or Pay in 8, subject to approval. Pay in 4 is four payments over six weeks. Some plans carry interest. A US origination fee of up to $124 is prepaid with the first payment, and the late fee is up to $7.

TIP: Match BNPL to Your Budget For a short trip, a pay-in-4 plan spreads the fare over about six weeks at no interest if you pay on time. For an expensive international flight, a longer plan such as an Affirm monthly plan or Zip's Pay in 8 makes each payment smaller, but it can carry interest, so check the rate before you confirm.

Can You Pay for Flights with Cryptocurrency?

Yes. At Laters.com you can pay for flights in BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC or CRO, processed by Crypto.com Pay. The fare is priced in ordinary currency and converted into the coin you choose, and that coin amount holds only while the quote is open. Checkout shows the accepted coins and networks. A crypto payment cannot be reversed once sent, so check the amount and network before you pay. Laters adds no booking fee or surcharge.

Paying with crypto can be a smart move when flights are expensive: you avoid credit card interest entirely and use assets you already hold without converting them to cash first. It can also help international travelers avoid the foreign exchange fees a card may add.

Book Crypto Flights with Bitcoin, Ethereum or a stablecoin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are flights so expensive right now in 2026?

Mainly because jet fuel costs much more since the Iran conflict pushed oil prices up. US Gulf Coast jet fuel was $4.42 a gallon in the week of October 2, 2026, about 79% above late February (EIA). Strong demand, crew shortages, limited aircraft and higher labor costs add to it. US airline fares were 22.4% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier (BLS).

When will flight prices go down in 2026?

There is no reliable date. Fares tend to rise fast when fuel goes up and fall slowly when it comes down (CBS News calls this "rockets and feathers"), and IATA expects jet fuel to stay elevated for a while even if the conflict ends. The best strategy is to book when you find a fare you can afford, stay flexible on dates and airports, and use a flexible payment option like Buy Now Pay Later to spread the cost over time.

How can I afford flights when prices are so high?

You can split the fare into installments with a Buy Now Pay Later plan. Laters.com offers Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm, PayPal Pay in 4, Splitit and Zip, plus cryptocurrency payments, so you can book at today's price and pay over time. Pay-in-4 plans are interest-free if you pay on time; late fees, Zip's origination fee and some monthly plans cost extra.

Is Buy Now Pay Later a good option for flights?

Yes, it can be. BNPL lets you lock in the current fare before it rises further, and many pay-in-4 plans are interest-free when you pay on time, so you pay the same total spread over several weeks. Just make sure to set up automatic payments and avoid stacking multiple BNPL loans.

Can I pay for flights with cryptocurrency?

Yes. Laters.com accepts BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC and CRO at checkout. This is useful for travelers who hold crypto and want to use it for travel without converting it to cash first. Remember that a sent crypto payment cannot be reversed.

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