In the midst of holiday shopping and travel, Colorado resident Tom Pipes didn’t want to spend extra money on a plane ticket. He flew from Colorado to Los Angeles on Southwest, the grandfather of budget-friendly airlines.

“If there was a first-class option, I wouldn’t use it,” Pipes said this week after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport. “I fly for the price.”

Unfortunately for Pipes and travelers like him, inexpensive tickets probably are going to become increasingly difficult to find.

Over the last year, the average cost of a domestic U.S. flight increased more than 4% to $269 in November, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show. It is a trend line that is expected to continue as budget airlines stumble due to rising costs and a crowded field of competitors, while the industry’s major carriers press ahead with strategies focused on pricier, premium ticket options.“You can expect to see pricing across the board firm up and move higher,” said Tom Fitzgerald, an industry analyst at TD Securities. “If you’re really price sensitive, there may not be as many deals for you.”

American, Delta and United are the world’s three largest airlines and are projected to account for 97% of the industry’s operating profit in the U.S. this year, according to a Deutsche Bank report. In an attempt to catch up, low-cost carriers are rolling out more expensive options for seats that come with perks such as early boarding and extra legroom, leaving less room on the plane for the lowest priced tickets.

Spirit, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November, rolled out its version of first class this year. Frontier will offer a first-class option in late 2025 and JetBlue announced this month that the airline will add first-class seats to domestic flights by 2026.

“Budget airlines are trying to find ways to boost their revenue and they know that people are willing to pay more for a better product,” said Michael Linenberg, an airline equity researcher at Deutsche Bank. “The average price is going to be higher and we may see a net reduction in seats that are allocated to the lower-fare price buckets.”

As budget airlines try to recast themselves, major airlines are catering more to higher-paying travelers with premium ticketing options, which is reducing the proportion of seats in the cheapest category, industry analysts said. United, for example, offers five tiers of tickets ranging from basic economy to first-class, giving customers the option to pay more for a refundable ticket or a ticket that comes with free bags.

The price listed Dec. 26 on United’s website for a basic economy ticket from Los Angeles to New York on this coming Saturday was $347, which allows the traveler to carry on only one small item such as a purse. Of the nine flights from Los Angeles to New York that United operates that day, basic economy tickets were still available on only two.

For $50 more, a customer could select a seat and bring a carry-on bag, but they would have to shell out $55 more to get a fully refundable ticket. A premium economy seat on the same flight was priced at $724 and a first-class ticket cost $1,643.

Similarly, Delta offers main cabin tickets and “comfort plus” tickets, as well as an option above first class dubbed Delta One. While a first-class Delta ticket from Los Angeles to New York on Jan. 4 cost $1,059, a Delta One ticket was priced at $1,599 and comes with lie-flat seats. Spirit’s cheapest fare to New York from Los Angeles on Jan. 4 is $246, while its most expensive option is $416.

Sophy Chang, 32, recently flew Delta from New York to Los Angeles and chose the cheapest ticket option. Although her seat was toward the back of the plane, she said she was comfortable enough and grateful to be on a direct flight. She’s a regular Delta customer and said she typically has a good experience.

“I definitely wouldn’t mind extra legroom,” Chang said. “I care about it more on longer flights.”