Airlines are jacking up prices for those trying to get home for the holidays, while hotels are running great specials for those staying away from home.

That's the big takeaway from this week of the Murphy Travel Index.

The idea here is to give you a one-stop reference tool to find where the deals are, where the spots to avoid are and what the pricing trends are.

We're looking at the top 25 business and leisure airline routes, as well as the top car rental and hotel hot spots every week.

To be clear: Our numbers are based on research done last week looking for fares and rates for the Dec. 16-22 week.

Airfare is skyrocketing this week while hotels saw some sharp drops.

Let's get into the information this week. Click on each image for a larger-size version of the chart.

AIRLINES: LEISURE ROUTES

Outside of the numbers, some other takeaways from our research:

- Ticket prices are up sharply for both business and leisure travelers, as airlines hike fares in anticipation of holiday travel.

-  Seats on several weekend flights to Florida are either sold out or very expensive.

- There were gigantic spikes in prices this week, as trips to Honolulu are going through the route. Prices went up 258 percent out of San Francisco, 220 percent out of Los Angeles and 170 percent out of Seattle.

- Delta and Southwest tied for the most lowest fares, winning the fare war on four routes apiece.

- More space in MSP and quiet space in ORD:  United Club members should check out the new post-construction look of the Minneapolis Club. The expansion gives members about 25 percent more space to love and additional seating. 

Meanwhile, over at O’Hare, the airport has opened a new yoga room on the mezzanine level of Terminal 3. The 15-foot by 16-foot space is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

AIRLINES: BUSINESS ROUTES

Business route takeaways beyond the numbers:

- Fares on international flights to London and Paris are holding steady, but prices are way up for passengers heading Down Under: ticket prices on flights between L.A. and Sydney are up 233 percent from last week.

- Only one route was down in price week-over-week, from Miami to Buenes Aires (down 9 percent).

-  United had the best rates this week, with best route prices on five routes. Frontier and U.S. Airways tied for second with four routes apiece.

- Delta’s Give and Take:  Beginning March 1, Delta Medallion members will receive complimentary upgrades on flights between L.A., San Francisco, Seattle and Salt Lake City to Hawaii, But members will no longer receive upgrades on flights between New York (JFK) and L.A., San Francisco or Seattle.

- Good news for Alaska Airlines frequent fliers:  Starting on Jan. 15, members will be able to earn elite qualifying miles on all of the airline’s international partners.

MONTHLY TRENDS: AIRFARE 

- Both leisure and business fares are the most expensive since we started tracking. Leisure fares are up $155 on average since last week and $61 on average this week compared to the first week we began tracking.

- Business fares are also the highest this week, up $226 on average since last week and $173 on average this week versus the first week we began tracking.

HOTELS

Takeaways beyond the numbers:

- The cost for a hotel room is down 18 percent this week, as business travelers check out in time to head home for the holidays.  Room rates are down in every city, as hotels lower prices in anticipation of guests who will be paying their own way over the holidays.

- Only one city is up week over week (Detroit, up 5 percent). San Francisco has the sharpest decline (down 51 percent) with New York second (down 43 percent) week over week.

CAR RENTALS

Beyond the numbers:

- The overall average is up 18 percent from last week, and customers can expect to pay significantly more for rentals in Miami (+34 percent),  Orlando (+21 percent), Chicago (+51 percent) and Portland (+79 percent). 

- The biggest price increase this week is in Philadelphia, where the average price for a midsize car tops $100.   

- Visitors to Washington, D.C. will find it costs less to rent a car at Reagan ($64/day) rather than Dulles ($131/day).

MONTHLY TRENDS: CAR RENTALS AND HOTELS 

- After a rise the last two weeks, hotel prices dropped $40 on average since last week and down $63 on average since we began tracking five weeks ago.

- Car rentals creeped back up to their most expensive average since we began tracking the week of Nov. 18.

---

And one final tip for you:

- Still looking for that last minute Christmas gift?  Send a bouquet or arrangement through 1-800-FLOWERS (minimum of $29.95) and receive 1,750 Southwest Rapids Rewards points through Dec. 31. 

In other SW news, the airline has joined the Burbank airport loyalty program, which awards one airline mile or two hotel points for every dollar spent at the airport, and at participating vendors nationwide.

Let us know what you think of the Index. Hit us up on Twitter @TravelPulse.