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Almost half of Americans fear inflation will spoil their winter travel plans, survey finds

By
FOX Local
Economy
Published October 14, 2026 6:22 PM CDT
Published October 14, 2026 6:22 PM CDT
article

Travelers look up flight-related information at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on February 24, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The Brief

    • Fueled by a 3.7% year-over-year rise in September's Consumer Price Index, 49% of Americans report that inflation will affect their winter travel plans in a new WalletHub survey.
    • Despite financial pressures, with over 25% calling winter travel financially stressful, nearly one-third of Americans consider winter travel worth going into debt for.
    • Thirty percent are preparing for 2026 travel while still paying off debt carried over from last winter, the survey found.

A new survey on winter travel shows 49% of Americans say inflation will ruin their travel plans this winter, according to a new WalletHub survey. 

Big picture view:

The survey asked more than 200 people about winter travel and their finances. It found that more than 25% say winter travel is very stressful financially. 

The numbers come amid reports that U.S. inflation accelerated in September, with the consumer price index rising 3.7% compared with a year ago, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. The Associated Press reported that on a monthly basis, costs rose 0.6% from August to September, which it calls the biggest jump in five months. 

Gas prices rose 9.1% between August and September. Rising gas prices serve as a highly visible sign of inflation. They can also negatively affect how consumers see the economy. 

With fuel costing more, air fares rose 1.2% from August to September. That marks a 22% increase over the past year. Hotel prices were up 2% from August to September and up 4.4% compared with the same time in 2025. 

Dig deeper:

Despite the financial stress people associate with traveling around the holidays, nearly a third of Americans say they think winter travel is worth going into debt for. But for some, it isn’t debt that they’re able to pay off quickly. Thirty percent of Americans will face planning for travel in 2026 while still carrying travel-related debt from last winter. 

In terms of spending this year, 45% say they expect to pay about the same this year, while 33% say they will likely spend more. 

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To help handle the expenses, about 34% say they will likely apply for a new credit card to save. More than half — 57% to be exact — say they will ease holiday spending costs by redeeming credit card rewards. 

But the majority of travelers don’t seem to think artificial intelligence is the answer when it comes to booking travel. Only 36% say they would let AI plan and book an entire trip for them. 

The Source: Information in this story came from WalletHub, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.


 

Economy