With the arrival of summer, thousands of Italians are preparing to leave for the holidays. And for those who have not yet booked August flights, the question is only one: can you still find some “convenient” price? Some answers come from the new Investigation of Altroconsumowhich analyzed the trend of air prices from December 2024 to May 2025 on 8 strategic routes, Revealing surprising data and precious advice also for last minute travelers.
Taverous increases
The photograph taken by Altroconsumo It is clear: flights for August have become much more expensive. Booking the same flight in May, compared to December, means spending 83% more on average. In some cases even the increase exceeded 300% as in the Rome-Tokyo section, which reached over 5,000 euros, against an average of less than 1,500 euros only six months earlier.
The international sections are those where the increase is felt more. For example:
But even on the internal sections you don’t joke:
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Under special observation also the strokes towards the islands, in particular Sicily and Sardinia, where the increases are among the most marked of the entire investigation. These destinations, being geographically isolated and characterized by particular mobility needs, have long showed a price trend that arouses concern. Precisely for this, The antitrust has started an investigation To verify the use of pricing algorithms by airlines. The goal is to understand if, especially in the peak periods of the application, such as August or the holidays, distortions occur in the functioning of the market such as to penalize resident consumers or traveling to these regions.
In the specific case of the investigation of Altroconsumoamong the sections monitored to the islands, especially the routes to Sicily have marked a significant surge in prices in the six months analyzed, confirming how particularly these destinations are particularly sensitive to the dynamics of the oscillation of prices. Also in this case, those who waited too much to book have risked paying much higher figures than those available in the winter months, confirming the fact that, on these routes, the possibility of saving is played on the advance and the ability to grasp the oscillations of the market at the right time.
Is booking first convenient? Not always
One of the most interesting discoveries of the investigation is that, contrary to how many consumers believe, Book in advance does not always guarantee the best price. The situation is more nuanced: on average it is convenient, but it is not a fixed rule. In fact, some flights recorded price peaks in the central months, and then descended again.
The case of Roma -Paris with Wizz Air is emblematic, which touched 600 euros in February (+488% compared to December), and then dropped to 195 euros in May.
To explain these fluctuations is the Dynamic Pricing, the system with which airlines to modify prices even several times a day Based on variables such as:
As Matteo Marano, market analyst of Altroconsumo explains:
Generally it is better to book as soon as possible, but this is not always the case. Prices can also decrease. For this reason it is important to monitor the trend of rates, because the algorithms used by the companies are increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable.
December confirmed itself Anyway, On average, the best month to buy the summer flights of Augusttraditionally one of the periods of maximum demand, like the Christmas holidays. In January there were already the first increases, but they still remained content. Since February, however, the rates have started to climb decisively, making it increasingly difficult to save. The real shot took place in April, when prices increased by over 80% compared to December. At that point, even monitoring in May it no longer made much difference: the tickets had now reached their peak and every saving margin had substantially vanished.
Tips for those who still have to book
If you haven’t purchased your holiday ticket yet, that’s what you can do to try to save:
Booking a flight to August in mid -June is not necessarily too late, but attention is needed. Keep an eye on the rates, compare the options, be flexible and know the real saving margins are the right moves to be able to find still good occasions, even in full high season.
Low cost or traditional companies?
According to the investigation, on average the low cost companies offer lower rates by 20% than flag companies. However, low cost are also more subject to price oscillations, with sudden increases or drops.
Traditional companies, on the other hand, tend to change prices in a more gradual and predictable way. This can make it a safer choice if you book well in advance, even if not increasingly cheap.
The survey methodology
The investigation analyzed 174 flights to eight key sections, Four starting from Rome (Paris, Cagliari, Barcelona, Tokyo) and four from Milan (Palermo, Bari, London, New York). The dates considered are those in which there is a peak of the question:
Altroconsumo He took the prices every first Tuesday of the month, selecting the cheapest flight among the first five results on Skyscanner, then verified on the company’s website. The research has been done in unknown mode, to avoid distortions due to online profiling.
