Summer travel costs taking off as S.C. fuel prices soar

My Journey Begins Travel co-owner Ron Opher was featured in this article and the embedded video regarding summer travel and fuel prices.

Travelers booking summer vacations face higher costs as airlines respond to rising jet fuel prices linked to the war with Iran.

United Airlines announced it is raising fares by as much as 20% this summer. The CEO said the airline needs to pass some of the increased jet fuel costs to customers.

Air Canada also said this week it is suspending some routes because of high jet fuel prices.

Ron Opher, co-owner of My Journey Begins Travel, said he does not see people traveling less despite higher ticket prices.

“I might be more concerned if I were planning an international trip, how that might play out, but I think domestically we’re actually going to see Americans travel domestically more to make up for some of the trends of foreigners not coming here in the numbers we’re used to,” Opher said.

Opher said many of the price increases mainly impact Europe, so costs could affect international travelers more than those traveling in the United States.

“I think a lot of the price fluctuations have more to do with demand and the capacity of how many planes, how many pilots, crew they have available, rather than the costs of the fuel,” Opher said.

He said airlines buy fuel ahead of time on contracts at set prices to avoid wild price swings.

Stuart Butler, president of Visit Myrtle Beach, said the city’s tourism season is off to a great start and beating expectations despite higher travel costs.

“I think nationally we’re going to see a decrease in travel, but Myrtle Beach is always resilient, and I think we’ll weather this storm as we have in the past,” Butler said. “We continue to monitor gas prices and other socio-economic impact factors, but as of right now, Myrtle Beach is looking like it’s in a pretty good spot.”

Butler said data shows people still want to travel but may need to adjust their budgets.

“They may have to make a few sacrifices, they may have to eat an extra peanut butter and jelly sandwich while they’re here on the beach versus going to an extra restaurant, or they may have to shorten their trip by a day,” Butler said. “What we’re seeing right now demand is really strong for the summer, and our hotels are reporting they’re actually ahead of pace from last year.”

In short, summer travel may be affected by fuel prices, but the overall prognosis is good for domestic travel, including to and from Myrtle Beach.