High fuel prices test limits of summer vacation spending

Travelers walk through the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 1, 2026. Leslie Josephs | CNBC Higher fuel prices are testing how badly consumers want to travel this summer, whether flying or driving. Airfare hasn't been this high since May 2022, when airlines stumbled out of the pandemic with aircraft and employee shortages to face hordes of consumers ready for "revenge travel." Gasoline is above $4 a gallon and could go higher, AAA warned this week. …