Christmas airfare is poised to soar: Hotwire.com

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Christmas airfare is poised to soar: Hotwire.com
from MarketWatch.com - MarketPulse WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The average ticket price for a domestic flight this Christmas holiday is a bit below year-ago fares, but that won't be the case for long, said Hotwire.com President Clem Bason, during a Tuesday interview. "When we get to that 21-day window, prices will rise; we could see it rise by 5% to 10% above last year on domestic tickets," Bason said, basing his assumption on trends for the Thanksgiving holiday. Airfare typically climb starting 21-days before departure. Would-be travelers have been waiting longer to purchase holiday-travel tickets this year, likely out of budget concerns, said Bason, adding it's not a wise plan. Thanksgiving ticket prices, which were up about 3% at the end of October, have now risen about 7% from a year ago.