{"id":96225,"date":"2025-07-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:56:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:56:52","slug":"why-are-flights-so-expensive-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019ve recently searched for flights and felt personally attacked by the price, you\u2019re not alone. A lot of people are wondering: <em>Why are flights so expensive in 2025?<\/em> Let\u2019s break down what actually affects flight prices: no jargon, no fluff, just straight-up facts (and a bit of hacks too).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/pexels-soumya-ranjan-205042-1098745.jpg\" alt=\"Commercial airplane at airport gate during evening boarding, with jet bridge connected and ground crew preparing for departure. This type of airport service is one of the reasons why flights are so expensive.\" class=\"wp-image-84191\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. It\u2019s Not Just the Airline. Airport Taxes Are a Beast<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>That flight fare you see online? It\u2019s not just what the airline pockets. There are two big parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Base fare<\/strong>: This is what the airline actually charges you to seat your bum.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Airport taxes &amp; government fees<\/strong>: These are added on and vary depending on the country and the airport.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>International airport taxes can add over <strong>65%<\/strong> to your total airfare. And there\u2019s no skipping them. Even budget airlines have to play by these rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of airports, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/singapore\/flights\">Singapore<\/a> has the most beautiful airport in the world, book before the fares increase!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Jet Fuel Prices Are Still High (And Planes Need Fuel)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Jet fuel prices have surged since 2023. Airlines are paying more to operate every single flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fuel is one of the biggest expenses for airlines. When oil prices go up, so do operating costs and guess who picks up the slack? Yup. The consumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re searching for <em>&#8220;what affects flight prices&#8221;<\/em> or <em>&#8220;why is airfare increasing this year,&#8221;<\/em> fuel is a major culprit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Fare Groups Are a Thing (And Yes, You\u2019re Probably in the Cheap Seats)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Airlines don\u2019t sell all their seats at the same price. Seats are sold in <strong>fare groups<\/strong>, think of them like price buckets. You can be sitting next to someone in a flight yet you are in different fare groups.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each flight might have 10+ different price buckets depending on demand, route, day of the week and booking time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Book early = cheaper bucket.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book late = only expensive buckets left.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you\u2019re checking flights the week before Christmas, you\u2019re probably browsing the top-tier buckets. Which is why flights seem outrageously expensive when you book last-minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/how-to-book-flights\">Here\u2019s how to properly book flights online<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/pexels-pixabay-99567.jpg\" alt=\"Airplane flying off into the horizon toward a golden sunset\" class=\"wp-image-83748\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Supply vs Demand (aka Everyone Wants Out)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>After years of travel bans, lockdowns, and sitting in joggers, people are travelling <em>hard<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Airlines are still ramping up flight frequency post-pandemic, but demand is already through the roof. That imbalance = price surge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This explains why airfare in 2025 is still higher than pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Load Factors (Fancy Talk for Full Flights)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Airlines aim to fill every seat. The <strong>load factor<\/strong> is the percentage of seats sold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fuller the flight, the more the airline can charge for remaining seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if you\u2019re booking when the flight is 80% full, prices jump. Simple maths, unfortunately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/pexels-tdcat-69866.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of travel essentials: flight boarding pass, train tickets, euros, and a phone screen, capturing the cost layers behind why flights are expensive.\" class=\"wp-image-84193\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. Exchange Rates: Rand vs World<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re flying internationally, you\u2019re not just dealing with flight costs, you&#8217;re dealing with forex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A weaker Rand against the Dollar or Euro means higher ticket prices, especially if the airline operates in foreign currency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That R7,000 ticket to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/cheap-flights-to-london\">London<\/a> might have cost R5,000 six months ago, but the Rand&#8217;s wobble makes the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. It\u2019s Not Always the Airline\u2019s Fault<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Airlines aren\u2019t out here trying to rob you (most of the time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between airport fees, fuel, currency swings, fare buckets, and demand spikes, flight pricing is like a very chaotic group project. Airlines are just one of the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>8. What About Travelstart? Do We Mark It Up Too?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s get real. We\u2019re an online travel agency (OTA), not an airline. We\u2019re on your side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While some platforms (and even airlines) quietly bake in hidden fees, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/\">Travelstart<\/a> often strips back the fluff. We don\u2019t mark up just because we can, we\u2019re considerate. When we run a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/flight-specials\">flight sale<\/a>, we actually cut our margin to bring you better fares. Sometimes even cheaper than booking directly with the airline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can\u2019t make fuel cheaper, but we can help you dodge the high-fare trap. That&#8217;s why we have been voted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldtravelawards.com\/award-south-africas-leading-travel-agency-2025\">South Africa&#8217;s leading travel agency 2025! (Under the Club Travel Group)<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>TL;DR: Why Flights Are Expensive in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Airport taxes are high<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jet fuel prices are up<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fare buckets reward early birds<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demand is high, supply is still catching up<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exchange rates matter<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Load factor pushes prices higher<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Flight pricing = a hot mess of moving parts. But now you know what you\u2019re really paying for.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tags:<\/strong> why flights are expensive, what affects flight prices, airfare increase 2025, airport taxes, jet fuel prices 2025, airline pricing explained, base fare, fare groups, load factor, rand vs dollar flights<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve recently searched for flights and felt personally attacked by the price, you\u2019re not alone. A lot of people are wondering: Why are flights so expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s break down what actually affects flight prices: no jargon, no fluff, just straight-up facts (and a bit of hacks too). 1. It\u2019s Not Just the Airline. Airport Taxes Are a Beast That flight fare you &#8230; <a title=\"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":96228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_destination_ratings":[],"_destination_review_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[350,351,352,353,354,355,356,357,45,358,359],"class_list":["post-96225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-airfare-increase-2025","tag-airline-pricing-explained","tag-airport-taxes","tag-base-fare","tag-fare-groups","tag-jet-fuel-prices-2025","tag-load-factor","tag-rand-vs-dollar-flights","tag-travel-tips","tag-what-affects-flight-prices","tag-why-flights-are-expensive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down - Travelstart Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why are flights so expensive in 2025? Here\u2019s what\u2019s driving prices up and how South African travellers can still find smart ways to save.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down - Travelstart Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why are flights so expensive in 2025? Here\u2019s what\u2019s driving prices up and how South African travellers can still find smart ways to save.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Travelstart Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-22T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-04T13:56:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Email-hero-1-900x600.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brandon Mlilo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brandon Mlilo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brandon Mlilo\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0c92c48c805c2d5ebd15bafa2395fa16\"},\"headline\":\"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-22T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-04T13:56:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":771,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Email-hero-1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"airfare increase 2025\",\"airline pricing explained\",\"airport taxes\",\"base fare\",\"fare groups\",\"jet fuel prices 2025\",\"load factor\",\"rand vs dollar flights\",\"travel tips\",\"what affects flight prices\",\"why flights are expensive\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down - Travelstart Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Email-hero-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-22T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-04T13:56:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"Why are flights so expensive in 2025? Here\u2019s what\u2019s driving prices up and how South African travellers can still find smart ways to save.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Email-hero-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Email-hero-1.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Travelstart Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Travelstart Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/logo.svg\",\"width\":147,\"height\":35,\"caption\":\"Travelstart Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0c92c48c805c2d5ebd15bafa2395fa16\",\"name\":\"Brandon Mlilo\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brandon Mlilo\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/brandonm\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down - Travelstart Blog","description":"Why are flights so expensive in 2025? Here\u2019s what\u2019s driving prices up and how South African travellers can still find smart ways to save.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down - Travelstart Blog","og_description":"Why are flights so expensive in 2025? Here\u2019s what\u2019s driving prices up and how South African travellers can still find smart ways to save.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/","og_site_name":"Travelstart Blog","article_published_time":"2025-07-22T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-04T13:56:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Email-hero-1-900x600.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Brandon Mlilo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brandon Mlilo","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/"},"author":{"name":"Brandon Mlilo","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0c92c48c805c2d5ebd15bafa2395fa16"},"headline":"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down","datePublished":"2025-07-22T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-04T13:56:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/"},"wordCount":771,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Email-hero-1.png","keywords":["airfare increase 2025","airline pricing explained","airport taxes","base fare","fare groups","jet fuel prices 2025","load factor","rand vs dollar flights","travel tips","what affects flight prices","why flights are expensive"],"articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/","name":"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down - Travelstart Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Email-hero-1.png","datePublished":"2025-07-22T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-04T13:56:52+00:00","description":"Why are flights so expensive in 2025? Here\u2019s what\u2019s driving prices up and how South African travellers can still find smart ways to save.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Email-hero-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Email-hero-1.png","width":1200,"height":800},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/why-are-flights-so-expensive-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Are Flights So Expensive in 2025? Let\u2019s Break It Down"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/","name":"Travelstart Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#organization","name":"Travelstart Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/logo.svg","width":147,"height":35,"caption":"Travelstart Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0c92c48c805c2d5ebd15bafa2395fa16","name":"Brandon Mlilo","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brandon Mlilo"},"url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/author\/brandonm\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}