Whether you are hitting the road or flying, traveling this spring break trips and summer vacations will likely cost you more this year.
The average cost of gas in North Carolina is up 32 cents from a week ago.
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Gas prices are up not only up because of the war on Iran. Demand helps increase the cost, but warmer temperatures also mean a more pricier blend of gas.
Refineries produce a summer-blend gasoline which contains pricier additives to help reduce evaporation during warmer months, according to AAA.
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Higher oil prices are also driving up the cost of jet fuel. Patrick De Haan with GasBuddy says airlines that are based in the U.S. use about 4 billion gallons of jet fuel a year. And those extra fuel costs may be passed on to consumers.
“I looked yesterday at an airfare that I booked. It’s up 21% compared to where it was just a couple weeks ago. The price of jet fuel has gone up over $1.25 a gallon,” said De Haan.
Airline experts are encouraging people to book flights now for travel later in the year.
De Haan says even if the war ends soon, it could take a while for gas prices to go back down.
“They won’t go fully down to pre-war level. because of those seasonal changes that are coming. We’ll be hopeful that later prices in the summer may eventually fall below the $3.00 mark. That right now seems a long way off,” he said.