A round-trip flight from New York to London in 2026 runs roughly $900. Sounds steep, until you learn that in 1957 the same trip cost $425 — about $5,066 in today's money. Suddenly, that transatlantic fare looks like a bargain.

That historical reality check comes as travellers brace for a rough stretch. US airfares have jumped 23.4% since August 2025, driven by a fuel pricing crisis triggered by the February US attack on Iran. Executives at American, United and Southwest have all warned that surging fuel costs are forcing them to scrap unprofitable routes, with United's finance chief noting some December flights planned for the fourth quarter simply won't operate. Shorter domestic routes are most at risk. Across the Atlantic, Ryanair's boss has cautioned that the era of rock-cheap European flights could be ending, especially after Saudi Arabia's national oil company told European refiners to expect no crude shipments next month.

So how bad are things, really? Frommer's has an unusual window into the past: its very first guidebook, Europe on 5 Dollars a Day, published in the late 1950s when jet travel first made Europe reachable within a normal two-week American vacation. Because fares were then fixed by the US government's Civil Aeronautics Board or IATA, the prices in those early editions are solid records, not marketing fluff.

The numbers are eye-watering. In 1957, flying New York to Rome cost $551.40 — $6,573 today — and Athens was $686, or nearly $8,200 adjusted. By 1961 prices had climbed further. A dip came in 1969, when off-peak New York–London fell to $399 (about $3,642 today). The real collapse arrived after US deregulation: by 1980, New York–London cost roughly $449, just $1,824 in current dollars, and by 1990 east-coast-to-Europe fares sat in the $600–$700 range, around $1,500–$1,800 today. Domestic flying got even cheaper — a Los Angeles–Boston ticket cost $915.82 in 1978 ($4,705 today) but only $408.89 by 2015.

Compare that with mid-October 2026, when round trips from New York to Paris go for $897–$953 on Delta and Air France, and New York to London for $894–$962. Even after the current surge, flying remains far more affordable than it was for most of aviation history. The catch is direction of travel: fares are rising fast, and if fuel costs keep climbing, today's prices could start drifting back toward those old norms.

One telling sign of the times: airlines are reviving instalment plans. American, Alaska, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United all now offer monthly payment schemes for booking flights — a throwback to the 1950s excursion tickets tourists could pay off in instalments. Approval, of course, depends on your credit.

For holidaymakers, the takeaway is simple. Flying is still historically cheap, but the margin is shrinking. Booking earlier, travelling off-peak and watching for route cancellations are sensible moves in the months ahead.