Prices for flights to eclipse-viewing hot spots have spiraled out of control

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August 16, 2017 4:33 PM

The impending total solar eclipse on August 21 has people spending a whole lot of cash.

Nashville, eclipse city.

A flight to Nashville, Tennessee, in mid-August wouldn't usually break the bank.

But since the music mecca is in a prime location to view the solar eclipse due to take place on Monday, August 21, it's moved to the top of the list for many travelers.

According to Google Flights, if you were to book a round-trip flight leaving Friday and returning to New York City Tuesday, the ticket would cost you well over $1,000.

That's even if you leave at less convenient times, like 6 a.m. Sure, booking a flight now is pretty last minute, but for comparison, similar flights leaving after the eclipse next week are currently less than half the price.

Round-trip flights to other viewing hot spots like Kansas City, Missouri, and Lincoln, Nebraska, are similarly expensive, all over $1,000. In almost all cases, shifting your flight a day or two outside of the Friday to Tuesday range can shave hundreds to thousands off the ticket cost. It's clear why travelers are flocking there.

Predictably, the cities where prices have risen the most are already hot tourist destinations, like Nashville and Charleston, South Carolina. Hotel rooms in some of these destinations have been booked for years, according to CNBC, and many cities have planned events in the days leading up to the eclipse.

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