How President-Elect Trump’s Win Could Impact the Price of Travel

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States produced record levels of crude oil during President Joe Biden’s administration. However, Trump’s strong stance on fossil fuels could further accelerate production growth.

“Trump’s emphasis on promoting U.S.-based fossil fuel drilling and exportation would presumably lower the cost of fuel and related travel prices for U.S. consumers,” Hoffman said. “As domestic production ramps up, supply will increase, and prices will fall.”

The possible reinstatement of multi-country, international travel bans under Trump could eliminate thousands of incoming and outgoing flights and the money they bring to the travel industry.

“It has the potential to trigger pilot and flight attendant layoffs and increased prices on all other remaining domestic and foreign flights to make up for it,” Hoffman said. “Hypothetically, of course; this is uncharted territory in terms of U.S. travel policy.”

Neugarten said President-elect Trump’s potential policies on tariffs could affect travel prices, specifically the cost of flights.

“Delta Airlines currently stocks 450 European-manufactured Airbus jets, with 200 on order,” Neugarten said. “It would be safe to assume that Delta — and any other airline — importing multi-million dollar’s worth of overseas-manufactured aircraft will need to increase flight prices to offset the significant import tariffs proposed by President-elect Trump.”

Neugarten explained, “Even U.S-based Boeing wouldn’t be exempt, as imported parts and steel would be subject to tariffs, as well, depending on how the legislation is written.”

Travelers can take these proactive steps to stay ahead of potential changes in airline policies and rising travel costs. Neugarten recommended:

• Checking departures from multiple airports

• Expanding your travel search to find deals

• Setting up price alerts or subscribing to a flight deal service

• Searching for one-way instead of round-trip flights

• Check if the price of your booked flight has dropped and get a refund or credit.

“Global factors could also influence travel costs under Trump when you look at resolving conflicts in regions like Ukraine or the Middle East,” Neugarten said. “It could stabilize energy prices, potentially lowering costs for travelers. However, Trump’s visa policies and trade tariffs could counteract these benefits.”

Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.

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