Will Your 2027 Travel Budget Survive Expected Price Increases?

Millions of Americans are gearing up for holiday travel to end the year, visiting loved ones domestically and abroad over the next several weeks. Americans are set to bring in another busy travel season, with data from AAA showing that 82 million Americans embark on trips during Thanksgiving alone.

The December holidays are sure to create even more chaos at airports, train stations and bus terminals around the country, but info from a new study shows that customers could feel the effects of late-year travel with their wallets.

Vacations are set to become even more expensive in 2027, and the study shows exactly where travelers are set to feel the most impact when the calendar switches to the new year.

Five Factors For Increased Travel Prices

According to MoneyLion, these five travel expenses are likely to be more costly next year, giving customers and potential travelers time to prepare for what’s likely to be a more expensive journey.

Plane tickets are the first area of concern, with one expert noting that the industry “has already been absorbing rising costs for the past year, but its ability to shield passengers from further price increases is diminishing.”

The expert added that airlines account for 30% to 60% of seat capacity on flights, and that prices could rise by about 40% over the course of the next calendar year.

Gas prices have been a major pain point for consumers over the last several months, and the issues could persist into 2027. Data from September’s Consumer Price Index showed a 9.1% monthly increase in gas prices, and a 34.2% increase year-over-year.

Food economists, like Ricky Volpe of Cal Poly, estimate that travelers will feel the impact of price increases when eating at restaurants during trips.

“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,” Volpe told the Financial Times.

More Expensive To Play, More Expensive to Stay

Theme park tickets have increased incrementally at parks like Walt Disney World, with prices going up at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot in 2026. A one-day ticket to one single park at Walt Disney World next year is $229, a new record for the world-famous theme park.

Finally, stays in certain locations could become more expensive and more logistically difficult, if not outright impossible. Cities like Barcelona are revoking short-term rental licenses for apartments, which will have a direct impact on prices offered at sites like Airbnb and Vrbo.

Airbnb specifically has also implemented new rules dictating what guests are required to do during a stay. Without the cost of certain amenities or labor provided by those guests, hosts may choose to raise prices to offset the additional work.

As 2026 winds down, we’ll see how consumers are affected by the ongoing increases in travel costs – and what they may consider as an alternative to offset them.

This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Nov 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.