Going Deal Report: Price Thresholds for Top Destinations in 2026

Key takeaway: Ignore the monthly plot twists. Cheap flights are still the main character. Beneath the ups and downs, 2026 is shaping up to be another year where travelers can score deals at the cheapest they’ve been in history.

2025? Boring. Travel frenzy? Faded. Fares? Still golden. 

If you’ve paid attention to fare trends throughout 2025, you know it requires as much zoom lens to analyze as the rest of the year. The stark drop in average fare price in the first half, plateau in June, and subsequent spike heading into the second half felt like anything but solid ground. But this time, let’s zoom out.

Fares may fluctuate modestly month to month, but airfare today is dramatically cheaper than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago. In fact, adjusted for inflation, June 2025 was the second-cheapest month for airfare on record. Yes, ever. And barring major shocks, 2026 is poised to be just as fruitful when it comes to flight deals. 

To this, we’ll address everyone’s burning question: Yes, we are still in the Golden Age of Cheap Flights.

The Going Deal Report is part of the Going 2026 State of Travel & Flight Deals Report, which uncovers the deals, destinations, and data guiding travel for the year ahead. Read the full report.

Economy deals: Asia on the rise

Not rising airfares. Quite the opposite, in fact. Asia fares are dropping, and increased capacity is to thank. Airlines are rebuilding post-pandemic transpacific service, and more flights mean more seats mean more competition means—you guessed it—lower fares. 

That extra transpacific lift helps out other regions, as well: Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of Oceania get cheaper, in part thanks to the routes that operate via Asia. Net-new routes (like Fiji Airways out of Dallas) and expanding airline partnerships also help. 

Despite Canada fares running low, North America flights as a whole still saw an uptick in 2025, largely due to rising Mexico fares, with Pacific Coast Mexico fares running about 20–35% higher than last year. 

Elsewhere, most regions are hovering right around last year’s averages—not a lot cheaper, not a lot more expensive. A steady course. About what you’d want to see in the Golden Age. 

Premium deals: The sweet spot goes East

Like economy fares, deals in premium economy, business, and first class are relatively stable, with a few standout regions. 

• Premium economy to Europe: Dipping, a bright spot for anyone craving just a bit of added comfort without the business-class price tag.
• Business class to Asia and the Middle East: Higher capacity, more premium cabins, and fierce long-haul competition mean better award availability and better cash fares.

If your “one big trip” of 2026 involves sleeping flat at 35,000 feet, looking toward the Eastern Hemisphere is your best bet.

Points deals: Asia, business, and economy to Europe or Oceania

The points world is in an interesting spot. With devaluations popping up, award charts loosening, and once-predictable programs shifting, traveling with points can feel precarious. But in the middle of the volatility, there’s a bright spot: Award availability to long-haul destinations is actually looking strong.

According to Going’s points experts, Asia is the standout. EVA Air’s new DFW–Taipei route is unlocking fresh award space into Taiwan and onward to Southeast Asia. More award availability isn’t just giving travelers a new gateway—it’s giving them options across multiple partners and more opportunities to connect the dots on a long-haul trip.

Asia isn’t the only winner. Despite recent devaluations, there’s a noticeable rebound in Europe award availability, particularly through programs like Flying Blue (Air France/KLM). A well-timed redemption into Paris or Amsterdam can unlock easy country-hopping across Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal.

While economy redemptions are improving, the best cents-per-point value comes from business class, especially on transpacific routes. High cash prices and expanding award availability mean outsized returns if you know where to look.

Boosted by American Airlines' new partnership with Citi, we’re also seeing competitive economy fares to Australia and New Zealand, so travelers can now transfer Citi points to the airline, which previously didn't have transfer partners. 

Deals to destinations you hate to love 

We hear it every year. “London is too expensive.” “Tokyo is too crowded.” “Paris is all booked up.” And yet, travelers keep flocking, especially in the summer months, when kids are off school and kids-at-heart are looking to kick back. 

These destinations stay popular for a reason. They’re cultural capitals, culinary powerhouses, and hold endless adventures. Airlines know it. Hotels know it. We know it—we love baguettes and sunshine beneath the Eiffel Tower as much as the next traveler. But the prices reflect it. 

At Going, we don’t let popularity dictate what counts as a deal. We have data-driven thresholds for every destination, and a fare only becomes a deal if it beats the standard price by a good margin. 

The table below showcases off-season target fares—the prices that represent a great value for the cities that pop off every year. Once summer hits, we don’t loosen our standards. If the prices aren’t genuinely good, deals simply get scarcer. That’s the nature of peak season.

But if you set up flight alerts, you can catch good-value fares that fall between our thresholds, especially if you know what a “reasonable” price looks like. As a rule of thumb, add ~25% to the off-season price to estimate what a solid peak-season fare should be.

Off-season is where the real deals sit. In peak summer, deals become unicorns. And while you can certainly visit the places everyone loves to complain about, you don’t have to pay the prices everyone complains about.

Looking for destination inspiration? Check out our Where To Go in 2026 list, which includes 15 destinations where flights are getting cheaper and easier to book. 

What to expect for 2026

Summer 2025 was a perfect storm of tailwinds for travelers. Softened demand due to fewer inbound international arrivals, aggressive summer schedules from airlines, and higher-than-expected availability resulted in shockingly good last-minute deals, even to the big-name cities.

But that doesn’t happen every year. So how can you still beat peak-season prices?

• Book earlier than you think: Summer deals will be scarcer. Start looking early, especially for popular destinations. Book no later than March for the best deals. 
• Use flight alerts: Even if we don’t send the deal, your alerts will catch fare drops that hit within a reasonable price window.
• Shift your dates just a little: Moving a trip by 2–3 weeks can save hundreds. May–early June and late August–September are typically the cheapest summer travel dates.
• Embrace the off-season: Want Paris for $400? Rome for $500? Tokyo for $600? You’ll find those prices—but not in July.
• Consider alternative destinations: If Rome is surging, Florence or Bologna might not be. If Paris is sky-high, Marseille or Lyon might be half the cost. Our favorite tip: Let the deal decide where you’ll go.