Thanksgiving a pricey affair this year

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many USC students have already left campus for their homes and families. This year, however, Thanksgiving break is notably more expensive, from flights to turkey.

Orbitz Worldwide noted a jump in demand for Thanksgiving airfare, resulting in an 11 percent cost increase for flights to 10 of America’s top destinations. Flights to New York saw the most drastic jump, increasing 20 percent to an average round-trip price of $342. However, flights to Los Angeles are not far behind, rising 12 percent to $429.

This spike in airfare is accompanied by a rise in hotel fees as well, with the average hotel rate for 25 of America’s hot destinations rising nearly 5 percent, according to TravelClick Inc.

For those who belive they are saving travel costs by driving to their Thanksgiving destination, think again: Gas prices reached the highest levels in history last week. The average price in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area was a record 66 cents higher than this time last year, reaching $3.82 per gallon.

In addition to elevated airfare and hotel costs, the American Farm Bureau Federation predicts that the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people will increase by 13 percent, the most notable increase in two decades. The cost is now estimated to be $49.20, $5.73 more than the 2010 projected cost. The biggest chunk of that cost is the price of turkey, which has increased due to high demand in the US and globally.