Limited routes and strong demand have bumped up the cost for travellers looking to holiday overseas after the pandemic.

The staggering increase from pre and mid-pandemic levels has seen Australians pay more for the cost of a plane ticket than what might once have covered their entire holiday, while domestic travel costs were also soaring as the market “exploited the demand”.

Travellers Choice managing director Christian Hunter told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings accommodation in Europe is up 25-30 per cent across the board, while airlines are prioritising profits over customer experience, with increasing fuel costs, a lack of competition and limited airlines flying into Australia the reasons for steep airfares.

“There really isn’t much other option, you either pay the price or you don’t go,” he said.

“Being locked in WA for two years, people have just got this desire to start travelling again.

“The hotels and the airlines are incurring more costs, some of them are not operating at full capacity because of staff shortages.”

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