Feb. 23--Chances are, you have no good idea how much your next flight should cost, according to a new survey that suggests consumers are terrible at estimating airfares.
The typical consumer misses the actual cost of airfare by almost 50 percent, or about $200, according to a report released Monday by Hopper, a smartphone app that advises consumers when to buy air tickets.
That lack of a good benchmark price probably contributes to consumer frustration when flight shopping, Hopper contends. The average consumer shops for about two weeks, and during that time airfares typically rise 5 percent, the study said.
Hopper surveyed more than 7,000 U.S. consumers about round-trip airfares to nine destinations -- New York, Las Vegas, Florida, California, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Europe and Asia.
On average, Mexico and the Caribbean were almost 30 percent more expensive than consumers expected, while California and Hawaii were about 10 percent cheaper.
However, as an average, estimates for some flight prices were quite accurate. For example, the average estimate for a flight to New York was $263, when the actual average was $266.
Consumers in the Northeast made the most accurate estimates on average. Those in the West were least accurate.
gkarp@tribpub.com
