Renewed conflict with Iran causes jitters with local travel agencies

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Spring break is weeks away — but tension in the middle east is already pushing flight prices higher. So, our question is: what do you need to know before you book a ticket for any vacation this spring and summer?

With colleges, universities and school districts soon sending their kids off for vacation, and with holidays like Passover and easter approaching, spring and summer travel are a couple of the busiest times of the year.

However, with so much happening across the world right now, not only have gas prices gone up, but so have ticket prices.

“I like to go in the summer because sometimes, you could get a lower price on the tickets,” a trip to Puerto Rico is on the agenda for Springfield’s Gladys Fontanez. She wants to visit family in Puerto Rico — but rising prices have her second-guessing the trip.

Ticket prices are up, no matter where you fly. All because tension in the middle east continues to rise following strikes conducted by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.

Right now, Fontanez is being cautious when it comes to buying a ticket in May, “my plan is I can put some money on the side and save for the summer so I can do the trip.”

Prices vary by destination and airline. While by how much is unclear, AAA Northeast Spokesperson Mark Schieldrop told Western Mass News a key commodity contributing to this is jet fuel, which moves in concert with other petroleum products, “Jet fuel is a cost that the airlines have. And oftentimes, jet fuel prices have gone up in the past. That puts price pressure on tickets as well. Airline pricing is a little bit of a black box, so the airlines don’t really share how they calculate a price for a particular ticket.”

It is a similar effect to what we saw in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Ticket prices aside, there is also the worry about traveling to any middle east country. That said, AAA Northeast and travel agencies are advising international travelers to enroll in the U.S. Government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

This service would allow them to get updates from the embassy about safety conditions within your destination, allow the embassy to contact you in an emergency, and assist friends and family in getting in touch with you during that emergency.

While he could not give an estimate on the long-term impact this conflict will have on ticket prices, Schieldrop told Western Mass News you should book your trip now, “sometimes, you can get a last-minute deal and pay a lot less by waiting until the last minute. But, with demand getting stronger over the last few years, our travel advisors have indicated that isn’t so much the case as it may have been in the past.”

For the moment, Fontanez has a plan b in case her trip falls through, “If anything goes up, then I’m going to have money so I can buy some food.”

If you have any questions regarding travel or planning a trip, reach out to a travel agent and they can answer whatever questions you have to the best of their ability. In the end, if you are planning to fly for spring break, be prepared.