The Price Of This Short Domestic Flight Is So Absurd You'll Think It's A Typo

Americans hoping to fly home for the holidays are in for a brutal case of sticker shock. Just how bad has the airfare insanity become? One flight between two cities in the same state reportedly came with a price tag so outrageous it almost defies belief.

A roughly 90 minute flight from Buffalo to New York City is said to have been listed for a $12,000, according to TikTokker Kristen Mirand.

The eye-popping figure was quoted for a round-trip ticket, according to the New York Post. Making matters even more absurd, the quoted itinerary reportedly included a detour through Florida. It remains unclear whether anyone actually purchased a ticket at that price.

The shocking example comes as holiday airfare reaches its highest level in a decade. The average domestic round-trip ticket for Thanksgiving now costs $402, a 31% increase from last year, according to travel booking platform Hopper.

Christmas travelers won't be getting much relief, either. Average round-trip fares have climbed to $452, up 23% from 2025.

Hopper attributes much of the increase to elevated jet fuel prices linked to the United States' war with Iran, and don't expect airfare prices to come crashing down anytime soon.

"Unfortunately, the majority of that price jump is coming on the back of almost doubling of jet fuel prices compared to this time last year." Hayley Berg, Hopper's lead economist, said. "Airlines unfortunately have to pass on those incremental costs in the form of higher fares to consumers."

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that airlines could hold on to much of their fare increases even after fuel prices return to normal, while Southwest CEO Bob Jordan was even more blunt, warning that carriers would "certainly not attempt to give some of these fare increases back."

In other words, even if the war ends and fuel prices plunge, Americans could be stuck paying sky-high airfares long after the crisis is over.

And the airlines? They could be laughing all the way to the bank.