People on both ends of California say they’re being pinched by high travel costs for flights in the Golden State, as airfare prices continue to climb after jumping by more than 25 percent compared to the same time last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The increase follows a 40 percent spike during 2022 that saw prices rise nationwide, according to a study conducted by travel app Hopper.
Travelers told The Epoch Times that those most impacted include California residents wishing to see families or needing to visit other areas of the state for business.
Roundtrip flights purchased for July 31, as of July 24, from Los Angeles to Sacramento are priced from $320 to $725, and flights from Orange County to the Capitol are between $470 and $840.
For those seeking out-of-state destinations, offers available from Orange County include roundtrip to Las Vegas for $38, Seattle for $87, and New York for $222.
Flights from Los Angeles to Houston are roughly the same price as those to Sacramento—between $400 and $500 roundtrip—even though the destination is twice the distance flown.
Historically, roundtrip flights were regularly offered for as low as $77 between Los Angeles and Sacramento as recently as 2018.
Some are questioning why the airfares are now disproportionately high for travel within the state.
“Why can I fly across the country for the same price or cheaper than I can to go see family on the other side of the state?” Tim Sullivan, who lives in Sacramento with his wife and two children, told The Epoch Times. “It doesn’t make any sense, and what it means is that our kids can’t see their grandparents as often.”
Experts point to discrepancies in the cost of labor and jet fuel as factors making the prices cheaper when flying to other states, with California’s taxes and fuel mandates increasing inner-state travel costs. Airlines can refuel at a lower price at destinations outside of California while also taking advantage of lower labor costs.
Others say the slight variation in jet fuel costs nationwide—less than 10 percent in most areas as of July 24, according to the fuel report published by AirNav, an aviation statistics and analysis website—should be minor once distributed across all tickets sold.
But critics also say the argument that California’s jet fuel price is inflating fares fails to account for areas in the northeastern part of the country, where fuel costs are similar.
Supply and demand could be to blame for the dilemma, according to economists who suggest that limited availability is keeping prices elevated. Nationwide statistics released by the Transportation Security Administration indicate that there are more daily airplane travelers consistently this year compared to last year.
Of particular concern to some California residents is the cost of travel jeopardizing the democratic process, as constituents are unable to attend legislative hearings in person and present their opinions with public comments.
While some committees allow for comments to be called in, others—including the Assembly Public Safety Committee where some bills, such as those related to fentanyl distribution and child sex trafficking—require in-person attendance to address the panel.
“I really wanted to go to the Capitol and argue for bills that were ultimately defeated this year,” Los Angeles County resident Danielle Jackson told The Epoch Times. “But I couldn’t afford to buy a ticket, and I don’t have a car because I live close to work and don’t need one.”
The announcement and timing of hearings create an additional predicament for would-be travelers, as some bills are rescheduled at the last minute, and in many instances, schedules are published less than two weeks before meetings occur.
Without the ability to book tickets in advance, constituents are forced to pay even higher, last-minute pricing to obtain seats.
“Even if we knew weeks beforehand, the prices are already too high for most of us to afford,” Ms. Jackson said. “And only the most expensive seats are left by the time we know we need to book a flight.”
For her, the prices just don’t make any sense.
“It keeps getting more expensive to fly, but we’re not making any more money, and now it looks like they’ve got the rates backward,” Ms. Jackson said. “I’d like to know why I can visit my sister in Texas for less money than I can my aunt in Northern California.”
