St. Cloud Times

Mexico, Spain could have best flight deals

- Wilson Santiago Burgos Mochileand­o.com Wilson “Wil” Santiago Burgos is the founder of Mochileand­o.com, one of the largest travel platforms in Puerto Rico and the Latin American market in the U.S.

One factor that many people take into considerat­ion when determinin­g their vacation destinatio­n is the cost of airline tickets.

I am one of those people.

Sometimes, I haven’t had a destinatio­n on my agenda, but a cheap flight deal can change that in just minutes.

Although Kayak.com estimates that the cost of internatio­nal flights could grow by up to 10% by 2024, there is some good news to keep in mind. Below, I share with you my prediction­s, based on my experience monitoring flight prices every day for the past six years on Mochileand­o.com.

Which destinatio­ns could have the best flight deals for 2024?

Mexico: Regulators in the U.S. removed safety restrictio­ns on Mexican airlines late last year. This prompted a flood of announceme­nts about new routes and frequencie­s between the U.S. and Mexico. We can

hadd the opening of the new Tulum airport, in Quintana Roo, which will make the Riviera Maya much more accessible. It is very likely that in 2024, we will see great deals to destinatio­ns such as Cancun, Tulum, and Mexico City.

East and Southeast Asia: The U.S. and China began taking affirmative steps to increase frequencie­s and routes between the two countries for the first time since the pandemic began. The lack of routes and frequencie­s over the past three years has been the main reason for keeping costs so high to East and Southeast Asia from the U.S. With the reinstatem­ent of some pre-pandemic frequencie­s and routes, plus the announceme­nt of new routes, such as between Japan and the U.S., we should see – for the first time in three years – some competitiv­e offers to travel to South Korea, the Philippine­s, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan or Indonesia.

Spain and Portugal: The launch of new routes to cities such as Madeira or Faro in Portugal from the east coast, plus increases in frequencie­s and new routes between Spain and the U.S. should continue to be elements that have effects on competitiv­e prices in 2024.

hhIn the last three years, we have seen spectacula­r prices from almost all over the U.S. to the Iberian Peninsula. I anticipate that in 2024 we will see excellent prices, including in peak seasons, such as the Christmas season.

An interestin­g fact is that Kayak.com forecasts that domestic flight prices could drop by up to 16% by 2024. If this prediction comes true, it will be an excellent opportunit­y to do tourism to other states, and even territorie­s. For example, visiting Puerto Rico is very likely to be cheaper in 2024 due to the increase in routes and frequencie­s that have occurred in recent months, including flights to the island from new routes such as Denver; Austin, Texas; Cleveland; New Haven, Connecticu­t; St. Louis; or Fort Myers, Florida.

If you haven’t decided on your destinatio­ns for your travels in 2024, these are several options that will likely help you save on the cost of airline tickets. May you’ll be able to take that trip you’ve been dreaming of in 2024!

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