Better fact in some extra cash for airfares this summer — flying is getting more expensive than last year. And just as you ascend into the sky, jetting upward into the heavens, so shall prices continue to rise as the season progresses.

USA Today cites Travelocity, which says summer fares in the United States are up 3% on average over last year, and 18% compared with 2010. It’s even worse if you’re traveling internationally, where the average ticket costs about 20% more than it did in 2010.

Fare watchers don’t see this price uptick ending any time soon, as airlines are likely going to push as much as they can.

“I would expect about a hike attempt a month, with about half being successful,” Rick Seaney of Farecompare.com tells USA Today.

There have been six attempts this year to raise fares across the board, and three of those have been successful. The most recent was initiated by Delta, but when the other airlines didn’t all join in, the hike was rolled back.

Experts say we can expect another such attempt before Memorial Day, which is the beginning of the summer travel season. Jet fuel isn’t getting any cheaper, which means airlines are going to keep trying their darndest to make up for that expense.

Airfares up for summer travel, likely to keep climbing [USA Today]

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