Summer 2026 is shaping up to be among the most expensive travel seasons in recent memory. The national average price for regular unleaded gas currently sits at $4.43 per gallon, up from $3.16 this time last year, and airfare hasn’t been this high since May 2022.
What the rising cost of fuel means for the airline industry, and for the millions of Americans planning summer trips, is a travel market upended by strained budgets, especially amid rising costs across everything from groceries to clothing. â
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