Airfares are back to normal — so why do they feel so high?

(NerdWallet) - Inflation has rattled nearly every aspect of Americans’ finances, including vacation budgets. But one major travel cost isn’t just lower than it was last year — it’s even lower than pre-pandemic.June 2023 airfares are 18.9% lower than what they were in June 2022, according to July 2023 consumer price index data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).Considering that booming demand — alongside other factors like high jet fuel costs &mdas