US summer travelers can expect long lines, higher prices as COVID restrictions ease

With more US travelers expected to take to the skies and the roads this summer as COVID restrictions ease, unbridled demand will strain capacity in the leisure and travel industry and push prices even higher. Airlines, hotels, rental car companies and booking sites all reported a surge in demand for their services in the latest batch of company earnings. But at the same time, many of those companies face a tight labor market and limited volume as they scramble to restart and expand operations after more than two years of depressed demand due to the pandemic. Tripadvisor said travelers should expect inflation to impact all areas of travel purchases in 2022, and booking now versus later can mean locking in better prices. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc plans to continue to reprice hotel rooms “every minute of the day” to limit the impact inflation has on its business, CEO Christopher Nassetta told investors on Tuesday. The price of flights this summer are also trending higher, according to travel search engine Skyscanner. Round trip flights within the US will cost $302 per traveler on average, which is 3% higher during the same period pre-pandemic. Long and ultra-long-haul international flights are up to 20% higher than 2019, costing on average $797 and $1182 respectively.<br/>