Flying has become significantly more expensive since 2021 and is set to become even more expensive
Keystone-SDA
Air travel has become significantly more expensive in Switzerland over the past five years. What’s more, airfares are likely to rise even further in the coming months, says comparison service Comparis.
Travellers are now paying just under 70% more for a flight than in 2021, Comparis notes in its Leisure Price Index published on Tuesday. However, this is by no means the end of the story: flying is likely to become even more expensive over the next 12 months. The main drivers of this trend are higher fuel, staff and maintenance costs.
According to Comparis financial expert Michael Kuhn, business class tickets in particular are likely to rise further. “Supply remains limited, there is less competition and customers are less sensitive to price changes. At the same time, they are more willing to pay.”
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Compared with flights, prices in the hotel sector rose less sharply over the same period, by just under 14%. And in the non-hotel accommodation sector, they actually fell: camping, holiday flats and B&Bs are now just under 3% cheaper than they were five years ago.
Leisure prices rise in June
The Leisure Price Index measures price trends in the leisure, culture, catering and travel sectors and is largely based on data measured by the Federal Statistical Office in the National Consumer Price Index. On a month-on-month basis, the index rose by 0.2% in June 2026 compared with the previous month, following a 0.3% increase in May.
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It was reported that prices for other private transport services (car hire, car-sharing, etc.) rose the most in June, increasing by 4.6%. Prices in the non-hotel accommodation sector also rose recently (+3.9%). By contrast, prices fell for audio and video media (-5.8%), television, audio and video equipment (-1.9%) and photographic and video equipment (-0.9%).
Meanwhile, contrary to the trend seen over several years, air travel costs in June were 7.3% lower than in May. “Following the very high prices in April, various fares were adjusted downwards in May and June,” explained Kuhn. The willingness to book flights had declined, partly due to higher ticket prices or concerns about kerosene supplies. Compared with June 2025, however, airfares are still up by 3.4%.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
