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'You need to book those now.' | Travel experts warn of rising airfares

Maine airports are the busiest they’ve been since 2019, according to three different airport directors in the state.

BANGOR, Maine — This past Sunday, daily airport passenger levels nationwide reached over 2 million, nearing pre-pandemic levels. This is according to traveler checkpoint data from the Transportation Security Administration.

In Maine, a similar trend is taking flight. 

According to Portland International Jetport Assistant Director Zachary Sundquist, air traffic is down around 15% from 2019. 

"[This is] definitely an improvement," Sundquist said. 

Sundquist provided NEWS CENTER Maine with data that shows the airport was in a much different situation earlier this year. The Jetport's traffic was down 50% to 60% in April 2021 compared to April 2019.

The Bangor International Airport is also seeing a rise in passengers. The airport's director, Tony Caruso, shared that passenger numbers were down 15% this past May compared to May 2019.

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"That positive trend continues," Caruso said. "As we gear up for another busy summer, we're [expecting to see] pre-pandemic [passenger] numbers in our future."

NEWS CENTER Maine also spoke with Presque Isle International Airport Director Scott Wardwell. He said, in the last two weeks, PQI had its highest arrival numbers compared to those corresponding weeks in 2019.

As more people travel by air, Mainers looking to book a flight may find the cost of many trips is way up. 

"Please, book early," AAA Northern New England travel agent Mary Ellen Lessard advised. "We’re taking reservations for 11 months in advance. The airlines know people are going to travel. So, any vacation time, for Thanksgiving, Christmas, April school vacation, February school vacation, you need to book those now. We’re seeing some of those flights are already sold out over the weekends.” 

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Lessard recommends traveling on weekdays like a Tuesday or Wednesday. Doing so could be less expensive than traveling over the weekend. 

Recently, American Airlines announced it plans to cancel 50 flights every day through mid-July, partly due to staffing shortages. To see if Mainers would be impacted by this, we reached out to the airline. 

A spokesperson provided NEWS CENTER Maine with a statement that reads, in part, "Currently, American does not have proactive cancellations planned for flights to Maine. The adjustments we’re making system-wide account for about 1% of our daily operation in July.”

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