by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:40 AM ET, Thu May 28, 2026
Rising inflation is a driving factor in splitting Americans this summer between those who can still afford to take trips and those who can’t, according to new data.
A Deloitte survey, first reported by Reuters this week, shows that the K-shaped economy is lowering travel expectations for most Americans. Overall, Americans making summer travel plans have reached their lowest in six years—45% of Americans said they’ve made summer travel plans.
One of the most resilient categories, the middle-income group, which makes between $100,000 to $199,000 a year, saw the biggest drop in summer travel plans, from 45% in 2025 to 37% this summer.
The largest population category, of course, is those making under $100,000. In this category, 16% of Americans say daily expenses completely prevent them from spending money on travel; 19% say it significantly impacts their ability to spend on travel; and 51% say daily expenses moderately or somewhat impact their ability to spend on travel experiences.
These numbers are significantly different from those in the middle-income and high-income categories, where just 5% of middle-income and 3% of high-income Americans report that daily expenses completely prevent them from traveling.
Airfare has risen by more than 20% year over year in April, and continues to remain elevated due to higher fuel costs associated with the war in the Middle East.
Higher prices, especially for airfare, are leading many middle- and low-income travelers to remain in a hopeful waiting pattern, hoping to snag cheaper flights. Others are foregoing big international trips and visiting places closer to home instead to save money. InteleTravel noted that outbound international summer bookings are down 25% from 2025.
Still, high-income travelers remain the ones who aren’t seeing the pressures that inflation has had on travel this summer. Several airlines have reported strong sales of premium and luxury seats, boosting revenue this year, even as higher aviation fuel prices continue to put pressure on them.
United Airlines posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue in the first quarter of 2026, driven by demand for premium and luxury seats. And even hotels are noting the rise in luxury power: Hyatt noted in its first quarter report that luxury travel demand buoyed the hotel giant’s revenue.
Even as fewer people will travel this summer, those that do—especially the wealthier ones—are planning on spending more on their longest trips, and it’s making an impact across the industry.
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