Went to check on flights from Michigan to Colorado to see our daughter. Man I almost had a heart attack. We used to get round trip flights for anywhere from 250-375 round trip. Flights have at least doubled since last we flew. We like Southwest but even budget airlines were high.
Very bummed out right now. We might have to drive out to save money!
Much of it depends on when you fly. Flying on a Tuesday afternoon is probably less costly than Friday.
Is it ski season where you are going?
A lot is just demand driven.
I live near STL and we are actually thinking of first driving to Chicago for a summer vacation in Montreal and then Vermont as we have more flight choices and more direct flight options.
It may be worth your while to look at drivable airports at either end of the trip to see if you have better options.
Some 20 years ago, I'd fly to BWI instead of either of the DC airports because the airfares were about 1/2 the price.
Those are just some examples of what might help.
Can't really do skipped segments as airlines are quicker to catch that.
I.E. there were times when I'd book a RT from KCI to DC, but that itinerary had a connection in STL. I'd check-in in STL before the KCI flight took off and explain my plans changed. Couldn't do it often and it works best when you don't check a bag. For some reason, the itinerary starting at KCI and connecting in STL was lower cost than the direct flight from STL taking the very same plane. Airlines wanted that direct flight premium and you could sometimes get around it with the skipped segment. Of course, I'd have to board a couple of hours early as the KCI to STL segment was about an hour flight. But I was a frequent TWA and then AA flyer, so I think they cut me some slack.
But I don't travel nearly as much as I did in the 1990s, and I suspect they are better at catching that sort of thing, security concerns, etc.
