Soaring costs for summer flights

You saw the news about American Airlines’ new $15 baggage check fee. Between that move and other fees for stuff that used to be included in the ticket cost, surely that means airfares aren’t going up, right?

Wrong. And yes, I did call you Shirley.

According to Farecast, domestic airfares for summer travel are up 20 percent from last year for departures between June 3 and Aug. 20. Even if you don’t pay extra to check bags or get an aisle/window seat, get ready to dig deeper if you plan to fly.

For some relief, consider these tips from Farecast:

• Avoid the Sunday after July 4th: A Sunday, June 29th, to Sunday, July 6th, flight is the most expensive itinerary, with a U.S. average of $352 (up from $290 last year). Flying back Saturday or Monday could save you $25 per ticket, while a Tuesday or Wednesday return could net $40.
• Aloha? More like A-HIGH-ha: Fares to Hawaii have been up more than 20 percent from last year but are starting to drop. For the best chance at a cheaper ticket, look for lower fares at the end of this summer or in the fall.
• Euro in luck: Some fares to popular European cities are now below average for Aug. 18-19 departures. Sure, that’s right as school is starting back, and August typically is a bad time to visit Europe; many Europeans also vacation that month, clogging popular attractions even more. But a deal’s a deal. On this side of the pond, end-of-summer sales for domestic travel usually kick off in mid-July.

Of course, if fares climb high enough that demand drops off significantly, we could see more fare sales, especially for off-peak travel days such as Tuesday and Wednesday. Hey, what else are going to do those days? Work?

(Speaking of work, no Going Away on Friday because I’m going away. Back on Tuesday.)