I Asked Travel Experts Which Vacation Expenses Will See the Highest Price Spikes in Early 2027
According to a recent WalletHub survey, 30% of Americans are still paying off debt from last winter's travel, and almost half of respondents believe inflation will hurt their travel plans this winter.
Steven Vigor, a travel expert and CEO of Revigorate, noted that the outlook for travel in 2027 isn’t promising. He said, “We’re seeing gas prices spiral, food supply chains disrupted not only by geopolitical circumstances but also by droughts and floods, and growing unrest among hospitality workers and employees across nearly every other industry.”
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MoneyLion spoke with travel experts about five travel expenses that could see the most price spikes in early 2027, based on recent trends in the Consumer Price Index and other relevant research and public data.
Plane Tickets
“The aviation industry has already been absorbing rising costs for the past year, but its ability to shield passengers from further price increases is diminishing,” remarked Vigor. We can’t write about travel expenses without starting with plane tickets. When reviewing the recent CPI data for September 2026, airline fare inflation was at 22.4% compared to the previous year.
Vigor stressed that budget airlines account for about 30% to 60% of seat capacity, depending on the market. With razor-thin profit margins, they’re on the front line of a collapsing airline economy. He guessed that we’ll see airfares increase by about 40% by the end of 2027, unless geopolitical tensions de-escalate.
Gas for Road Trips
If you’re struggling with the cost of plane tickets, you may be considering going on a road trip with your family. However, September’s CPI data showed gasoline up 9.1% for the month and 34.2% on an annual basis.
That doesn’t mean we’ll see those increases continue into January, but anyone planning a long road trip during the upcoming holidays should leave some room in their budget. The higher fuel costs would also likely increase what tourists pay for transportation on their trips, from rideshares to rentals.
Restaurant Prices
Vigor noted that about 20% of a traveler’s budget goes towards food. While the food away from home index went up only 3.5% on an annual basis, it’s enough to make an impact on an already stretched budget when you factor in how much airfare and fuel prices have gone up. For a family that eats out multiple times daily on a trip, these price increases will be felt.
Ricky Volpe, a food economist at California Polytechnic State University, noted that food price inflation will accelerate.
“When you do the margin math for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, it’s really hard to see how food prices aren’t going to bump up in the next two, three months,” he said in this Financial Times article. While he doesn’t expect food prices to increase as they did in 2022, the costs will be felt when someone’s traveling on an already stretched budget.
Theme Park Tickets
Alan Eskelsen, a travel expert and owner of Fun Park Go, shared that Disney World has already released its 2027 prices. The cheap days didn't change at all, but the busy days did.
“Magic Kingdom on a peak day went from $209 to $219. EPCOT went from $199 to $214. Christmas week 2027 is now $229 for one day at one park, which is a new record," he elaborated.
That doesn't sound like much on a single ticket, but for a family of four over four days, it adds up quickly.
Accommodations in Certain Locations
The travel sector is facing immense pressure in certain regions as people flock to the same destinations time and again, per Vigor. He highlighted that Barcelona has already committed to revoking the short-term rental licenses for all tourist apartments in the city by November 2028. This will have a massive impact on the prices tourists pay to stay in Barcelona. Vigor didn’t want to speculate on how much accommodation prices will rise, but it’s possible that other popular destinations may follow in an attempt to make housing more affordable.
Another concern to watch out for in early 2027 regarding accommodations is the recent changes announced by Airbnb regarding what hosts can request of guests at check-out. Many hosts have been vocal about the new policies and have even threatened to leave the platform. If the hosts choose to leave the platform, that will decrease the global supply of units. The hosts may also try to charge a higher cleaning fee to offset these changes, thereby driving up prices.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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