by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:55 PM ET, Wed May 20, 2026
Summer fares to popular Western European cities, such as Paris, Rome, London, Barcelona, and Frankfurt, are running at least 20% higher than last year as jet fuel shortages continue following the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A new report from Dollar Flight Club, a subscription-based airline ticket booking platform, says ticket costs have increased across the board due to rising fuel costs, the elimination of airline routes and the shuttering of Spirit Airlines.
"The big takeaway is that this summer is going to be harder financially on travelers," Dollar Flight Club Founder and CEO Jesse Neugarten explained.
"Between Spirit Airlines' historic shutdown and jet fuel prices doubling since the Iran war started, this is the most volatile summer travel market in decades," Neugarten added.
Still, according to Dollar Flight Club data, travel deals for summer 2026 haven't evaporated entirely. Travelers just need to know where to look for them.
Neugarten suggests that most travelers misunderstand the current fare spikes. While it's true that the price of transatlantic flights is soaring as airlines pass along higher fuel costs to consumers, the price of short-haul routes to places like the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America is holding steady.
That's because flights to these destinations burn less fuel and are dominated by low-cost carriers that compete hard on price, according to Neugarten.
With that in mind, Dollar Flight Club has just published its Summer 2026 Cheap Flight Forecast, a new report that pinpoints some of the cheapest places to fly this summer. To compile the report, Dollar Flight Club analyzed more than 500,000 airfare data points across more than 65 U.S. departure airports in late April and looked at round-trip economy fares for travel June through August 2026.
Read on to find out where you can score a bargain this summer on airline tickets.
Top 10 Most Affordable International Destinations & Average Price Ranges
- Leon/Guanajuato, Mexico (BJX): $185–$288
- San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU): $196–$300
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR): $228–$355
- Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA): $266–$359
- San José, Costa Rica (SJO): $276–$383
- Mexico City, Mexico (MEX): $232–$420
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ): $279–$403
- Nassau, Bahamas (NAS): $245–$371
- Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ): $276–$393
- Toronto, Canada (YYZ): $175–$425
Most Affordable Summer European Destinations for U.S. Travelers
Peak summer fares to popular Western European cities (Paris, Rome, London, Barcelona, Frankfurt) are running $1,700 to $2,100 roundtrip, roughly 20% higher than last year.
So if you're looking for a deal, consider alternatives like Reykjavik, Dublin, and Stockholm, which showed the highest volume of reasonable fares, according to Dollar Flight Club—airfare to these locations at the low-end range from $350 to $500 for early-season travel. Additional budget-friendly options to consider, per Dollar Flight Club, include Helsinki, Oslo and Copenhagen.
And here's another tip to cut summer travel costs, courtesy of Neugarten: "If you can shift to late August, almost every European city gets 30–40% cheaper."
Domestic Summer Travel Costs
The best domestic value destinations this summer can be found in the Southeast, Gulf Coast and Midwest.
Neugarten suggests, "If you're on a tight budget, fly east, not west. Although West Coast airports like LAX, SFO and SAN are offering some deals, they have higher-than-average fares."
But even here, Spirit's May 2 shutdown will likely impact pricing in several of the most affordable destinations. That includes places like Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, which were major Spirit hubs. Dollar Flight Club expects baseline prices on former Spirit routes to rise 20–25% within 3–6 months as budget carriers work to backfill capacity.
Other affordable U.S. destinations include Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Chicago and Nashville.
Additional Flight Deals and Insights
A few final, but equally helpful takeaways from the Dollar Flight Club analysis:
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, stands out as the most affordable beach destination
- Canadian destinations offer some of the best value for cooler weather
- Flexibility in where travelers choose to go can save thousands of dollars
And last but not least, Neugarten's biggest piece of advice is: "Book now, not later. Airlines
are cutting capacity every week. Fares aren't going to get cheaper, so
if you see a deal, book it."
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