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Holiday airfare up more than 40% from last year

Still haven't booked your holiday flight? Be prepared to pay more. A lot more, actually.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you still haven't booked a flight for your holiday travel, get ready to pay a lot more than you did for tickets. 

The best time to book holiday travel was in September. So what does that mean if you haven't booked your trip? Simply put, you're going to pay quite a bit more. 

Rising fuel costs, staffing shortages and fewer scheduled flights are factors leading to more costly airfares. Just how much more? According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, airline tickets have increased 42.9% since last October. 

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And it's only going to get more expensive the longer you wait, experts say. Ticket prices are expected to close even more the closer we get to Christmas. That's not to say there aren't things you can do to make sure you're not paying too much. 

WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.

One strategy to find a more affordable flight is to widen your scope when searching, particularly for flights to major airports. For example, if you're flying to New York City, don't just look for flights to JFK or LaGuardia. A flight to nearby Newark, New Jersey, could be a cheaper option. 

Contact Carolyn Bruck at cbruck@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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