Holiday airfare likely to be higher than last year

ATLANTA - People planning to fly during the holidays this year likely will have to dig deeper in their pockets.

An airfare forecasting Web site projects that average airfares out of Atlanta will be more than 20 percent higher than last year during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Live Search Farecast predicts Atlanta roundtrip airfares will rise by 27 percent, or about $86, for Thanksgiving, with Christmas fares expected to be 22 percent, or $73, higher.

Extra charges for checked bags and other extra fees will add to some travelers' woes.

Airlines are increasing fares, adding fees and cutting flights to make up for high fuel costs.

There is good news: because Atlanta is a large hub and has low-cost carrier AirTran, the city isn't expected to be hit quite as hard by fare hikes.