How to navigate summer air travel when everything costs more

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Apple News Today

Episode: How to Navigate Summer Air Travel When Everything Costs More
Date: May 30, 2026
Host: Sam Sanders (in for Shamita Basu)
Guest: Zach Wichter, Consumer Travel Reporter at USA Today

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the rising complexities and costs of summer air travel in 2026, examining how global events, airline industry shifts, and traveler habits are shaping the experience. Host Sam Sanders and USA Today’s Zach Wichter unpack why everything from ticket prices to in-flight snacks is changing, how the collapse of Spirit Airlines is affecting fares, the impact of international events, and practical advice for travelers who want to save money—and their sanity—this summer.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Why Is Air Travel So Expensive Right Now?

• Fuel Prices & Global Events: The ongoing war in Iran has spiked oil and jet fuel prices globally, directly impacting airline expenses and, in turn, ticket prices.
  Quote:

  "Fuel is a major input in terms of expenses for airlines. And so when fuel prices go up, we typically see the costs associated with air travel also go up." — Zach Wichter (01:31)

• Hidden Costs and Airline Fees: Carriers are reluctant to hike base fare but have raised checked bag fees and cut amenities, especially on short flights.
  Quote:

  "Pretty much all of the airlines, airlines in the last month or two announced an increase in checked bag fees. You saw Delta Airlines scale back on some of its inflight catering on shorter flights." — Zach Wichter (01:31)

• Spirit Airlines’ Collapse: The end of one of the largest US budget carriers has ripple effects for industry competition, nudging fares up across the board.
  Quote:

  “It kept airfares lower for everyone... Now that Spirit is gone, other airlines are going to have more leeway to raise their airfares because they won’t have this ultra low cost competitor.” — Zach Wichter (03:42)

2. Will Anyone Fill the Spirit Airlines Gap?

• Up-and-coming low-cost carriers like Breeze, Avelo, and the merged Allegiant/Sun Country could absorb some budget travel demand.
• Frontier is still in the game and may expand in Spirit’s absence.
• Legacy airlines may add basic economy options or new routes, but their customer base tends to pay for at least mid-tier fares (seat selection, checked bags, earlier boarding).

3. Will Higher Prices Curb Demand?

• Despite higher fares and fees, demand for travel, especially leisure and “splurge” trips, remains strong post-pandemic.
• Airlines are adding more premium seats to cater to high-spending travelers.
• This shift partly led to Spirit’s collapse; the most price-sensitive travel market has shrunk as more travelers are willing to pay for upgrades.
  Quote:

  “People continue to be willing to cut back in other areas of their life if it means they can splurge on travel... So people are taking more trips and more luxurious trips.” — Zach Wichter (06:43)

4. Headlines Worrying Travelers: Health and Weather

Hantavirus

• Not considered a major threat for summer travelers; transmission is far less likely than with COVID-19. Quote:

  "Hantavirus is a rare disease, and it shouldn't make travelers in the US really nervous as we head into summer." — Zach Wichter (10:23)

Super El Niño

• Weather remains a top cause of flight delays—expect more disruptions if predictions hold, but this is for passenger safety above all. Quote:

  "Priority number one is safety in aviation. And so if your flight is delayed or your flight is canceled, it's because they're trying to keep you safe." — Zach Wichter (11:51)

Geopolitics

• Travelers may want to avoid Middle Eastern transit hubs due to instability; recommend routing through Europe or seeking direct flights for Asia/Africa.

Operational Issues

• Earlier government shutdowns that affected the FAA and TSA have been resolved; expect fewer security line holdups this summer.
  Quote:

  “TSA workers are going to be working." — Zach Wichter (13:08)

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Practical Tips for Travelers

Beating Rising Costs

• Flexibility Is Key: Shift travel dates by even a day or two to find lower fares.
• Know When to Click Buy: Airline pricing is too opaque for perfect timing; if the price feels good, book it and move on.
• Shop Around, But Don’t Obsess:
  Quote:

  "If you feel like you're getting a good deal, just go for it and don't think too hard about it. My advice for your happiness, if not your wallet, is just don't second guess yourself too much once you've made that purchase. Move on." — Zach Wichter (14:51)

Points, Credit Cards, and Lounge Access

• The loyalty “points game” is more complex and less rewarding for most casual travelers.
• Zach: “I got rid of all of my credit cards that give me lounge access. I am frankly too lazy and not mathematically inclined enough to figure out what to do with all of my points balances.” (15:30)
• For most, focusing on enjoying travel instead of chasing perks or optimizing points may lead to better experiences.

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Destinations to Consider

• Domestic Hidden Gems:
  • West Virginia: “If you're looking to get out into nature, West Virginia is so beautiful and so worth visiting.” — Zach Wichter (16:57)
• A Texan’s Recommendation:
  • El Paso, Texas as a vibrant, diverse city with cross-border experiences and proximity to Big Bend National Park. “A perfect vacation with perfect Tex Mex exists in the El Paso metro area.” — (18:17)
• Travel for Yourself:
  • “Do what you like to do when you travel... There's a lot of pressure in our social media age around traveling for the gram... that's not how I like to travel.” — Zach Wichter (17:40)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

On the Loss of Spirit Airlines (03:42)

"Even if you didn't love Spirit, it was good to have Spirit around. It kept airfares lower for everyone." — Unidentified Apple News Host & Zach Wichter

On Airline Upsell Strategies (05:46)

"Airlines have had a really good track record of upselling their primary customers. So what I'm curious to see now... is do airlines see an incremental gain in the sales of their basic economy tickets or do those customers start buying up into higher fare buckets...?" — Zach Wichter

On Weather-Related Delays (11:51)

"Priority number one is safety in aviation. And so if your flight is delayed or your flight is canceled, it's because they're trying to keep you safe." — Zach Wichter

On the Travel Points Game (15:30)

"The people who I know who take it seriously, they treat it like a full-time job... You need spreadsheets and strategy and countdown clocks... I'd rather just get to the airport... get on the plane and go." — Zach Wichter

Pet Peeves: Flying Faux Pas (19:12 & 19:48)

• “People watching videos or listening to music without headphones.” — Zach Wichter
• “If people's hands can go in that place, your feet should not also go in that place.” — Unidentified Apple News Host

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rising Travel Costs & Fees: 01:31 – 03:42
• Spirit Airlines’ Impact: 03:38 – 06:27
• Premium Travel Trend: 06:43 – 09:07
• Travel Health Scares (Hantavirus): 09:22 – 10:44
• Weather & El Niño: 10:47 – 11:51
• Geopolitics & Routing Advice: 12:13 – 13:08
• Practical Travel & Budget Tips: 13:49 – 14:51
• Credit Card/Loyalty Points Real Talk: 14:53 – 16:44
• Destination Suggestions: 16:44 – 18:47
• Travel Pet Peeves: 18:50 – 20:22

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Summary Takeaways

• Expect higher prices and fewer ultra-cheap options, but strong demand suggests airports will still be busy.
• Weather, not just prices, will be a primary challenge—plan for possible delays.
• Flexibility and realistic expectations are key for a smoother summer travel experience.
• There’s less value and more effort in the “points and perks” chase unless you’re deeply dedicated.
• Don’t lose track of why you travel—choose destinations and styles that spark your own joy.

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For more travel insights, check out Zach Wichter’s reporting with USA Today and the ongoing USA250 project.

Transcript

[Sam Sanders]

This is in conversation from Apple News. I'm Sam Sanders in for Shamita Basu. Today, what to know about air travel this summer. The summer travel season is upon us. And with every hard won vacation comes the usual challenges. Crowded airports, flight delays, unpredictable prices, and maybe some not so considerate fellow passengers. But this season has some notable forces making it especially complicated this year and more expensive. The war in Iran has driven up oil and jet fuel prices across the globe. The recent collapse of Spirit Airlines, one of the biggest budget carriers in the country, could drive up ticket prices at other airlines. Add to that the possibility of a super El Nino and international health scares in the headlines. It has so many of us wondering how to navigate all of this.

[Zach Wichter]

Being prepared to roll with the punches and building some flexibility into your summer travel can go a long way at

[Sam Sanders]

Zach Wichter, he's a consumer travel reporter at USA Today and I wanted to talk to him about how these different forces could impact summer travel. And what you should know is you make your plans. We began with what's on many people's minds right now, the cost of fuel.

[Zach Wichter]

Fuel is a major input in terms of expenses for airlines. And so when fuel prices go up, we typically see the costs associated with air travel also go up. Now, airlines have been trying really hard to back away from raising their ticket prices as a result of higher fuel prices. I know, but you have seen other fees go up, right? So pretty much all of the airlines, airlines in the last month or two announced an increase in checked bag fees. You saw Delta Airlines scale back on some of its inflight catering on shorter flights.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

They stopped snacks, right?

[Zach Wichter]

On some very short flights. Yes, they stopped snacks. And so these are all levers that airlines have to save money without impacting that base ticket fare. Because people when they buy airfares typically don't think about their all in costs. They really only shop based on those base ticket fares.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Often we will see the rest of those fees like right before checkout. I've already done the legwork to find the flight. I'm not going to back out because of that $47 fee.

[Zach Wichter]

That's exactly right. Also, airlines have already announced cuts to some of their less profitable routes as a way to kind of focus on the routes that they can drive higher revenue with. We're also seeing airlines in some cases reduce frequency on some routes. So if they have routes where they're flying multiple flights a day, they may consolidate those flights. They need to find ways to save. They need to find ways to cut back. And certainly with Spirit exiting the market, we're likely to see airfares go up a little bit. And so it's like Spirit was one of the largest and arguably one of the most important ultra low cost carriers in the US and they had this effect across the aviation market of driving prices down because any market they went into, other airlines had to compete with them on price. And so now that Spirit is gone, other airlines are going to have more leeway to raise their airfares because they won't have this ultra low cost competitor competing for the bucket of the most price sensitive travelers.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

So even if you didn't love Spirit, it was good to have Spirit around.

[Zach Wichter]

Yes, definitely. It kept airfares lower for everyone. But some analysts who I've talked to have also said that airlines have to be really careful about raising their fares too much too quickly because if they do that, they might cannibalize some of their own demand and make people just avoid flying altogether.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Is any airline going to fill the Spirit shaped hole in America's heart?

[Zach Wichter]

That is such a good question and something that I'm really keeping my eye on because I think there are a couple ways that this could happen. One, is there some smaller low cost competitors that may be well positioned to grow?

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Which ones?

[Zach Wichter]

I'm talking about airlines like Breeze and Avelo and the newly merged Allegiant and Sun country, which is now operating under the Allegiant banner. So these could be airlines.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Frontier still around?

[Zach Wichter]

Frontier is still around. And they are also really poised to potentially have a growth spurt here because they were Spirit's main competitor. And so they're in a good position to potentially move into some new markets, pick up some of that traffic. Also for some of the existing airlines, some of the larger network carriers, Delta, United, American, they may also be in a position to kind of grow their footprint. We've already seen JetBlue announce new flight routes in Fort Lauderdale where it competed really directly with Spirit, but speaking in broader terms. So most airlines introduced the dreaded basic economy ticket as a way to compete with Spirit Airlines for the most price sensitive customers. But most of these mainline carriers, their core customers buy up from the basic economy ticket. So they buy the next bucket of economy ticket. That includes things like seat selection, maybe a checked bag, earlier boarding, that sort of amenity that comes with a slightly more expensive economy ticket.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Also the opportunity to change your flight or get a refund.

[Zach Wichter]

Right.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

For a lot of situations, if you get basic economy, you cannot get your money back. If you want to change your mind, that's Absolutely right.

[Zach Wichter]

And so airlines have had a really good track record of upselling their primary customers. So what I'm curious to see now as Spirit's former customers have to redistribute across the aviation network is do airlines see an incremental gain in the sales of their basic economy tickets or as Spirit's customers move to these other airlines do, do those customers start buying up into higher fare buckets when they have the option on other airlines? I'm really interested to see just how price sensitive Spirit's customers actually were now that Spirit is out of the market.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

So in spite of prices probably going up somewhat, it feels like demand still remains high. I have yet to hear people in my life saying that they aren't going to fly this summer even though they are all complaining about the things you've just listed.

[Zach Wichter]

Yeah, well, that's been this really interesting and durable trend that we've seen since the pandemic. So since the stay at home restrictions lifted in the aftermath of this peak part of the COVID 19 pandemic, people have really valued experiences. And we've seen in the years since then that people continue to be willing to cut back in other areas of their life and if it means they can splurge on travel. So people are taking more trips and more luxurious trips. And as a result, airlines are also investing more in premium cabins. So there's.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

I'm glad you mentioned this. I think there's a New York magazine piece that explains in detail how Delta is doubling down on its highest paying customers to the extent that it is refitting some of its planes to make the majority of seats, first class seats.

[Zach Wichter]

Right. So not the majority. And actually Delta is a little bit late to this game because other US Airlines like United have already started rolling out these high premium configurations. When we see the economy tighten, these premium travelers are the last people to be affected and to cut back on their travel. And that's actually part of going back to the Spirit story. That was part of Spirit's problem was they were operating in a segment of the market that was drying up because people were splurging on travel. They wanted to fly nicer planes, nicer seats. And so Spirit was less competitive because people were less price sensitive about buying their airline tickets. And because of their model, they couldn't cope with the higher fuel prices. But so as airlines compete for these higher dollar consumers, they also see it as a way of insulating themselves against the broader market because these high dollar value consumers are going to be the last people to cut back on their travel budgets. And I'm really interested to see how long airlines can keep up with this, because my feeling is the bubble has to pop eventually. Like, eventually, people are gonna get price sensitive and start going back for those economy seats. And then what are airlines gonna do with these extra premium seats that they've installed?

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

I want to move on to two other headlines that I'm seeing that make me wonder if they might make summer travel even worse. Hantavirus and El Nino. Which one should we tackle first?

[Zach Wichter]

Let's do Hanta.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Okay. Um, experts say it's much harder to spread than coronavirus, but, you know, once bitten, twice shy, we all still remember. Covid, what should we be thinking about when it comes to hantavirus and summer travel?

[Zach Wichter]

So I trust the experts on this. I've spoken to some epidemiologists who have said exactly what you said, that it's not as contagious as Covid, and it's not really going to be a factor for us. You know, there are people who came off that cruise ship and are now quarantining in the U.S. it sounds like the protocols around that have been really strong and make it very unlikely for this to spread further within the US There are other forms of hantavirus that are already endemic in the United States that are spread by rodent droppings. Those aren't spread person to person. So my impression from the reporting that I've done along with my colleagues is this really is very unlikely to be a factor. You know, one of the quotes that really stuck with me is common illnesses are common for a reason. So in your summer travel, you're much more likely to get the things that you've already gotten. A cold, a flu, that sort of thing. Hantavirus is a rare disease, and it shouldn't make travelers in the US really nervous as we head into summer.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

All right, now tell me everything's gonna be okay with El Nino.

[Zach Wichter]

So I'm less certain about this one, and here's why.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Okay.

[Zach Wichter]

I am not a meteorologist, so I don't know exactly what the super El Nino of this summer is going to do. But what I can say is that weather is pretty much always the leading cause of flight delays at any time of year, and especially in the summer. And so if we are going into a weather pattern that is more active, you're likely to see more flight disruptions. And we should all be really happy about that, because when flights are delayed for weather, it means they're keeping us safe, they're saving Lives. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

I'll never forget, I had a horrible delay in Austin one year getting back home, and everyone in the airport is pissed off. We have to wait hours. It's a crazy rainstorm. And then finally one of the staff of the airport gets on the intercom and says, I know y' all are mad, but we're not letting any planes take off because lightning is hitting the tarmac.

[Zach Wichter]

Exactly.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

And everyone goes, okay, cool. Great.

[Zach Wichter]

Yeah, exactly. And so priority number one is safety in aviation. And so if your flight is delayed or your flight is canceled, it's because they're trying to keep you safe. And as frustrating as it can be, you should be happy that they're not running the safety margins thinner just to get you somewhere on time.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

What else are you worried about this summer when it comes to travel?

[Zach Wichter]

Yeah. I mean, I know a big question, especially with the Iran war kind of ongoing, is what's going to be going on with fuel, where it's safe to travel? And so I would maybe recommend not flying through some of the big Middle east hubs this summer, because who knows what's going to be going on in that part of the world. If you're flying to Asia or Africa, maybe think about routing yourself through Europe or getting a direct flight or going some other way. The good news for travelers as we head into the summer is some of the security and FAA disruptions that we saw earlier in the year are not likely to be a factor. So the full government shutdown that happened this past fall that affected the entire government, including the faa, and then the partial government shutdown earlier this spring that affected TSA and led to really long security lines. Those issues have been resolved. The funding is flowing.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

All right.

[Zach Wichter]

So actually, in some ways, this summer could be a little bit easier to than the spring was. Exactly. You're probably not gonna be stuck in a five hour at a major airport because the TSA workers are going to be working.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

So in the midst of all of this, the loss of Spirit airlines, the rise in fuel prices, the reality of airlines trying to cater more to the highest spending customers, how can an economy traveler or a budget traveler take care of themselves this summer in the midst of all that? Any tips for those folks?

[Zach Wichter]

Yeah, I hate talking about airline pricing because it's so opaque.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Yeah.

[Zach Wichter]

Really, the best things that you can do as a traveler are to shop around and be as flexible as possible. You know, if you can shift the days that you're planning to travel on by a day or two, say, like, if you're Gonna fly out on a Saturday instead of a Sunday or a Tuesday instead of a Friday. That kind of flexibility can help you find a cheaper fare. But really, airlines are so good at extracting revenue and charging the most that they possibly can on any ticket that the best thing that you can do is if you feel like you're getting a good deal, just go for it and don't think too hard about it. I will say that even as an expert and someone who writes about this all the time, it's really hard, hard to tell. So my advice for your happiness, if not your wallet, is just don't second guess yourself too much once you've made that purchase. Move on.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Move on.

[Zach Wichter]

I like that.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

As air travel becomes more expensive, as the fancier, higher spending customers are getting even more and more perks, as the advertisements for this credit card for those points and that one for this point become even more abundant, how much of that stuff should I take part in? Should I be doing the point game? Should I be doing the credit card game? Should I be angling for all of the lounge access? There seems to be this competitive arms race for elite travel perks. How should I feel about that? How should I respond to all of those pulls?

[Zach Wichter]

I feel like this is gonna be an unpopular response, but I am kind of slowly stepping away from the game. I got rid of all of my credit cards that give me lounge access. I am frankly too lazy and not mathematically inclined enough to figure out what to do with all of my points balances. The people who I know who take it seriously, and I do have friends who take it seriously, they treat it like a full time job. And that's really what you have to do at this point to get the most benefit out of these programs. You like need spreadsheets and strategy and countdown clocks and all this other stuff. And you know what? When I'm traveling, I just want to have fun. And to be honest, I don't think I get that much benefit out of the lounges. They're not worth the time. I would rather just get to the airport with like not that much time before my flight, wait in the gate for like 20 minutes, get on the plane and go, I don't need to get free. I'm like doing air quotes here. I don't need to get free finger food and whatever that I've actually paid for because I paid $900 in an annual fee for a credit card. Like the math doesn't math for me. And again, I'm bad at math. So may I'M doing it wrong, but I don't recommend this.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Respects for me. Yeah, give us a travel recommendation, a place to go that more people should be going that is perhaps not top of mind, but should be and is great.

[Zach Wichter]

I'm so glad you asked this question because USA Today is actually doing a huge project this whole year called USA250 that is highlighting destinations in all 50 states around the country for America's 250th birthday. They're both popular tourist destinations and places off the beaten path. And so if you're looking for somewhere to go domestically this summer, that's a great starting point to see what kinds of places spark your interest. Some of my favorite places that I've been to that I've written about are in West Virginia. I like to be outside when I'm traveling. I go rock climbing in West Virginia. It's not somewhere necessarily that people think of as the first place that they're going to take a vacation. But if you're looking to get out into nature, West Virginia is so beautiful and so worth visiting. So highly recommend that. And yeah, otherwise, just, like, do what you like to do when you travel. Right. Like, I think it sounds silly, but, like, I feel like there can be so much pressure in our social media age around traveling for the gram or like traveling for the cool social media posts. Oh, yeah, but that's not how I like to travel. I like to go out and like, be in nature and do something because that's what I want to do, not because it's gonna make a cool post on my grid.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

All right, I will plug El Paso, Texas. I'm from San Antonio, lifelong Texan. Love it, mean it. El Paso gives you a little bit of everything. It is a major American city that is on the border with Mexico. You can walk across and have a fun night over there and come back. I've done it before. It's great. You also, in just a few hours, can end up in one of the best national parks in the country, Big Bend National Park. I always tell folks a perfect vacation with perfect Tex Mex exists in the El Paso metro area.

[Zach Wichter]

I love that.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

I want to ask you one more question.

[Zach Wichter]

Yeah, please.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine.

[Zach Wichter]

Okay.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

What's your biggest air travel pet peeve?

[Zach Wichter]

Ooh. You know, there are a lot of things I don't like, even though I generally love air travel. But the one that really comes to mind right now is, and you're seeing this more and more, is people watching videos or Music. Listening to music without headphones.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Yeah.

[Zach Wichter]

And I'm just like, don't do that. Also not obeying the seatbelt sign, because it seems like that's just putting them in danger. But you know what? If we hit turbulence and the person sitting next to me is up in the aisle, who are they falling on? It's gonna be me.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

I will tell you my biggest air travel pet peeve. If you are traveling and you're considering putting your feet somewhere, here's a golden rule. If people's hands can go in that place, your feet should not also go in that place. That means the back of the seat in front of you hands go there. Your feet shouldn't go there.

[Zach Wichter]

A stranger once touched me with their foot on a plane.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

It was the worst shoe with the foot.

[Zach Wichter]

So I was sitting in a window seat, and the woman behind me put her foot up on the window side armrest that was, like, attached to my seat. And then it touched me in the side of the torso. The rib. Yeah. It was horrifying.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

What did you do?

[Zach Wichter]

I turned around and I was like, can you please put your foot away?

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Yeah.

[Zach Wichter]

I was so shocked that I couldn't even be mad about it.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Yeah. Listen, when in doubt, keep your feet on the floor.

[Zach Wichter]

Yes. Yes.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Here we go. We fixed it. We fixed air travel.

[Zach Wichter]

I wish.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Oh, my goodness. Zach, I appreciate this conversation. You're making me feel better about summer travel.

[Zach Wichter]

I'm so glad.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

Appreciate you.

[Zach Wichter]

Yeah, my pleasure.

[Sam Sanders]

We'll include a link to Zach Wetter's reporting for USA Today on our show notes page. And every weekend, you can find new episodes of Apple News in Conversation in the Apple News app. And one last thing. This is my last episode, guest hosting Apple News in Conversation. My friend and colleague David Green will be taking over the host chair until Shemitza returns from parental leave in a few months. But if you want some more of me, you can find my show. I host a YouTube show and podcast called the Sam Sanders Show. I talk to folks about movies, tv, books, music, and I talk with creators and creatives about what makes them tick. All right, thank you all for being a wonderful, wonderful audience. Maybe I'll talk to you soon.

[Unidentified Apple News Host]

It.