How to get spring break travel deals as strengthening demand pushes prices higher

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Travel is back in full force, and while that demand is driving vacation costs up, there are still deals to be had if you know how to find them.

"Strong demand has certainly led to higher prices than we saw in 2020 and 2021," said Scott Keyes, founder of Going.

According to online booking site Hopper, round trip domestic fares are now averaging $264, up 20% from a year ago and 5% from pre-pandemic levels. But that doesn't mean it's too late to lock in a deal.

Keyes said in the past two weeks he's found deals like $197 round trip from Los Angeles to Hawaii, $483 from Chicago to Paris, and $650 from San Francisco to Fiji.

"Rather than choosing the destination you want to go to and then hoping and praying that a cheap flight pops up, see where there are cheap flights available over that spring break week," he advised.

But that doesn't mean summer travel will be on sale. Experts say the later you book, the more you'll pay.

According to the TSA, spring break travel season already started last Friday and will continue through April 21. They are anticipating travel volumes to exceed pre-pandemic levels.