by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 1:05 PM ET, Tue June 16, 2026
Nearly 70% of travelers expressed concern about global air travel becoming less reliable and more expensive as jet fuel prices rise, although destination safety remains the top travel decision-maker, according to a new Global Rescue survey.
The survey found only 22% hadn’t changed their level of concern over air travel, the prices of which have grown over 20% this year as the war between the U.S. and Iran halted shipping through the Middle East, a major gas and oil corridor.
Over 55% of travelers said destination safety is still the most important part of their travel plans, though nearly 27% reported both destination safety and airline costs are significant causes of concern. About 12% reported airline costs and route reductions are bigger reasons for not traveling internationally than destination safety.
“International travelers are facing a convergence of challenges that extends well beyond traditional safety concerns,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce. “Travelers are increasingly evaluating affordability, airline reliability, operational disruptions and destination safety simultaneously. The travel decision-making process has become far more complex than it was just a few years ago.”
What are Travel Advisors Experiencing?
While the survey demonstrates what travelers are thinking—that airfare is putting new pressure on travelers planning international travel—are travel advisors seeing the impact of that?
We asked some of our travel advisor experts to weigh in.
Many of them did not report any significant changes to their clients’ travel plans.
“My clients, although concerned about the potential for rising jet fuel prices, have not changed their travel plans at this point,” said Becky Lukovic at Bella Travel Planning. “...As a matter of fact, our people are traveling in record numbers this year, and it’s turning out to be one of our best years for international travel—both in short planning windows, and also in long-term planning.
“I think the last six years have taught us to have more of a ‘wait and see mentality’ vs. a ‘change all plans’ mentality,” Lukovic continued. “In 2020, we got very adept at triaging and shifting travel plans to a Plan B, Plan C and so on. My travelers really seem to want to ‘seize the day’ and get those dream trips on the books to make memories, because we all know life is short and the unexpected happens.”
Some travel advisors noted some differences this year, namely in group and event bookings, such as destination weddings.
James Berglie, President of Be All Inclusive, said that while clients aren’t panicking yet, group dynamics are shifting slightly, with more conversations about travel insurance to provide for any unexpected happenings.
Travelers are also planning group events farther in advance to allow for attendees to save up, likely a consequence of high cost of living and inflation in recent years more so than more recent airfare increases.
Beth Rasor, Destination Wedding Planner & Travel Advisor at Luxury Travel Boutique explains: “I am personally seeing destination wedding inquiries much earlier than in previous years, as couples are increasingly eager to provide their guests with more time to save for travel expenses. While I would typically expect to receive inquiries during Summer 2026 for weddings scheduled in the second half of 2027, the majority of the requests I am currently managing are for 2028. This shift toward a two-year planning window is unprecedented, with inquiries now extending through Fall 2028.”
Yet fears over the war and higher airfare prices have impacted some advisors’ businesses, like Cal Cheney at Bucket List Travel and Tours, who says clients interested in Nile cruises and Africa trips are choosing not to travel right now due to concerns about safety, noting they’re not choosing alternative trips.
"There is chatter about airline prices, but it seems to be a combination of that, along with war that has some prospects going silent," said Cheney. "I have lost some pretty good business in the past few months when people say they just want everything to settle down.”
While rising airfare costs haven’t stopped most travelers this year, there are shifting considerations and mentalities surrounding airfare, especially for event and group travel. Should airfare remain elevated in the years to come, this might lead to less overall trips, more time saving for travel costs, or shifting travel desires to prioritize less expensive destinations.
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