Booking cheap travel from TYS
Top three travel trends for summer 2025
Airbnb shares data behind the top summer destinations and motivators for 2025.
- Good news for travelers: the domestic airfare average for summer months is at its lowest since 2021.
- Airfare out of Knoxville is averaging $309, which is 4% lower than in 2024.
- McGhee Tyson Airport has summer domestic flights for under $250 and international flights under $505.
The beaches of Miami or the casinos of Las Vegas? Or maybe the beauty of Cancun or the adventures of Paris? What destinations are calling to you this summer and can you afford it?
If you haven’t already, it’s time to start making those summer getaway plans, and travel might not be as expensive as you think.
Domestic airfare for the summer months is averaging $265 per ticket, according to the 2025 summer travel outlook by Hopper, an online travel agency that tracks airline fares.
Domestic prices are down 3% overall from this time last year. And it’s the lowest summer airfare since 2021, when travel began to rebound from pandemic lows. Fares are also 8% lower than in summer 2019.
And there are affordable flights out of Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport.
When is the best time to book flights and travel?
You can find the best deals by flying in early June or mid-July, according to Hopper.
Airfare tends to spike during holiday weekends like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Prices can be around $81 more per ticket, roughly 34% higher than the cheapest weekends of the summer.
In general, It’s suggested to book domestic flights at least 34 days before departure, according to the online travel agency Expedia’s 2025 travel report.
Sunday is the cheapest day of the week to book flights, and Saturday is the best day to depart for domestic travel. Avoid booking on Mondays and traveling on Sundays, which tends to cost more.
Where to fly for a summer vacation from Knoxville
Summer vacations don’t only have to be at beautiful warm beaches. Whether you’re planning a family getaway or a solo adventure, summer memories also can be made at national parks, mountain towns and everything in between.
The top five summer travel destinations in 2025 according to USA TODAY 10BEST, are: Mackinac Island, Michigan; Ocean City, New Jersey; Catalina Island, California; Saratoga Springs, New York; and Philadelphia.
Airfare out of Knoxville is currently averaging $309, according to Hopper, and roundtrip tickets are down 4% from last year.
A few affordable destinations from Knoxville include:
- New York City | $189
- Miami | $190
- Washington, D.C. | $204
- Chicago | $208
- Houston | $230
- Las Vegas | $238
- Denver | $239
- Boston | $240
Prices are per round ticket for nonstop flights. Hopper found these prices for Knox News on May 22.
Where to fly for an international summer vacation from Knoxville
If you’re looking to get even further away from Knoxville, airfare to most international regions is around 10% cheaper than last year, according to Hopper. In fact, it’s cheaper to fly to many international destinations this summer than it was in 2019.
International destinations from McGhee Tyson include:
- Belize City, Belize | $474
- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | $490
- Cancun, Mexico | $500
- Panama City, Panama | $504
- Barcelona, Spain | $526
- San Jose, Costa Rica | $530
- Milan, Italy | $606
- Paris, France | $610
- Athens, Greece | $620
- Prague, Czech Republic | $652
- Munich, Germany | $655
- London, United Kingdom | $660
Prices are per round ticket for nondirect flights. Hopper found these prices for Knox News on May 22.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email [email protected]. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.
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