N10.8m: Airlines Release New Ticket Prices as Travelling to US Gets More Expensive
- Nigerians looking to travel to the US for business, education, or tourism are expected to face several hurdles
- Aside from the new visa rules, the high cost of airline tickets is another major challenge travellers will be confronted with
- Experts have provided insight into the difficulties faced by Nigerians travelling to the United States
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Nigerians planning trips to the United States are facing several hurdles from new visa rules, especially travel costs.
Source: Twitter
Ticket prices in the last year have increased significantly, with the cheapest now costing at least N2 million.
BusinessDay reports that a return economy-class ticket from Lagos to Houston, which sold for an average of 1.5 million naira last year, now ranges between N2.7 million and N3.9 million, depending on the airline.
Airlines increase ticket prices to US
Lagos – Houston (Economy-Class, avg. N1.5m last year, now):
- Turkish Airlines – N2.7m
- Qatar Airways – N2.8m
- Emirates – N3m
- United Airlines – N3.1m
- Lufthansa – N3.2m
- Virgin Atlantic – N3.9m
Lagos – Houston (Business-Class, avg. N7m last year, now):
- Lufthansa – N9m
- Turkish Airlines – N10.2m
- Emirates – N10.5m
- Qatar Airways – N10.6m
- Air France/KLM – N11.3m
- Delta Airlines – N11.5m
- Virgin Atlantic – N11.7m
Lagos – New York/Washington D.C. (Economy-Class, avg. N1.7m before summer, now):
- Egypt Air – N2.7m
- Lufthansa – N3.4m
- Royal Air Maroc – N3.7m
- United Airlines – N3.8m
- Virgin Atlantic – N4.5m
- Qatar Airways – N5.3m
Lagos – New York/Washington D.C. (Business-Class, now):
- Royal Air Maroc – N7.8m
- United Airlines – N8m
- Lufthansa – N8.7m
- United Airlines – N9.3m
- Emirates – N10.8m
Source: Facebook
Yinka Folami, president of the National Association of Nigerian Travellers, spoke on the rising cost of travelling to the US.
“The fares are extremely high at the moment, even higher than tickets to destinations such as Doha or the UK,.
“Someone who originally planned to travel to the US may now choose the UK instead, simply because the cost is beyond their reach.
"With the devaluation of the naira and rising ticket prices compared with people’s incomes, travellers are making rational decisions to suspend or redirect their plans.”
Also, Susan Akporaiye, chief executive of Topaz Travels and former president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) said:
“The slow traffic into the US. is because of the cost of fares, which is ridiculously high, and a lot of people are weighing their options"
Air Peace begins direct flight to UK
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Air Peace announced plans to commence direct flights from Abuja to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick airports starting October 26, 2025.
Air Peace would become the first Nigerian carrier to operate direct services from the country’s capital to both of the United Kingdom’s major international gateways.
The airline said the new routes would be operated using its Boeing 777 aircraft, offering passengers a comfortable long-haul experience.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
