Lower Airfare Costs in 2017

Good news for business and vacation travelers alike: Travel costs in the United States are expected to fall this year, according to a study by American Express.

In spite of the competition between low-cost carriers and traditional airlines, shorter flight economy fares could decrease by 3 percent. Longer distance business-class fares are predicted to fall about 2 percent. This sunny forecast, however, may be a bit overshadowed by higher add-on fees for baggage and on-board food and other services.

Due to lower fuel costs over the past months, airlines have been adding flights that would not have been profitable when oil prices were higher. These additional flights have increased faster than the number of travelers to fill the seats, resulting in lower fares.

A few of the top airline carriers are planning to compete on price with the budget airlines by marketing cheaper, but higher-restriction fares. Meanwhile, some budget carriers have expanded into the hubs of larger airlines along with adding more flights into medium-sized airports, reports Entrepreneur.com. This is a win-win for the American traveler.

For those traveling to Europe and much of Asia Pacific, fares are predicted to remain the same, with slight increases depending on route and fare class.