By Rebecca Fenton

There’s no place like home for the holidays, but for some out-of-state students affected by the troubled economy, there may have to be.

Students who live a flight away from Boston may be spending the upcoming holiday season nearby due to rising airfare prices.

“[Before] my freshman year me and my mom had a chat about this,” said Shay Oliveira, a sophomore international affairs major from San Francisco.

“My mom said you can probably only fly home once a year,” said Oliveira, who spent $650 on a round trip ticket for Thanksgiving vacation. “I probably will not be able to go home for Christmas.”

Oliveira said the decision to live far from college needs be made while being cost conscious.

Some students said the holidays can be a greater burden on students’ budgets during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because they fall only weeks apart. Holiday tickets are also traditionally more expensive than those purchased at other times during the year, some students said.

“The cost of flying has gone up and the economy is not doing very well,” said Thomas Kinton Jr., chief executive of Massport, who said the slumping economy has contributed to the decrease in passenger traffic. “In the last several months we are seeing a worsening trend.”

The total number of airport passengers in September decreased by about 10 percent from the previous September, and October was down 13 percent, Kinton said. He also confirmed that the number of leisure travelers, vacationers and college students was steadily declining.

Northeastern’s frequent flyers are familiar with how to shop for the lowest possible airfares. Online sites like CheapTickets and Orbitz allow students to compare ticket prices and explore the cheapest options.

“I buy them ahead so they’re not too bad,” said Shane Manciagli, a middler finance major, who said he typically flies JetBlue to Seattle. “They have a good nonstop and it’s pretty cheap.”

Students said they often book their holiday tickets during the summer months, when prices are cheapest. Students who are not as lucky to purchase tickets from traditionally less expensive airlines like AirTran and JetBlue have found cheaper transportation options.

“I used to fly on AirTran,” said Shanise Bland, a senior communication studies major, who will be flying Delta after Boston discontinued its AirTran flights to Philadelphia.

For Christmas, Bland said she will be taking the bus home and flying back to Boston to lessen her travel expenses.

“At least I have the option of taking the bus,” she said.

While students, like Bland, who live close to Boston are fortunate to pursue other transportation options than flying. But for some, flying may be the only option.

Kevin Lehner, a middler communication studies major, said he is one of the few whose only option is to fly home and prefers to fly to Alabama from Manchester, N.H. than from Boston.

“Any flight out of Boston is expensive,” Lehner said, regarding the round-trip ticket home for Thanksgiving that would have cost him more than $1,000 from Logan International Airport. “You save half of that if you fly out of Manchester.”

The slumping economy has not only increased the price of tickets and changed the path home for many students, but it has also increased expenditures on what would normally be considered free.

“Already the airlines are charging for one bag,” said sophomore psychology major Katie Laiter. “Some airlines are charging $75 for one bag.”

While some students might be upset to say in Boston during the holidays, others who decide not to fly home said they have found that holidays without their families may still be enjoyable.

“I think you’d be surprised how many students reach out to other friends, and say, ‘Hey, why don’t you spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with us?'” said Oliveira, who spent last Thanksgiving with his friend in western Massachusetts.

This year, Oliveira has plans to take a roadtrip with three or four friends during his holiday vacation.

Other students said they are less inclined to miss out spending time with their families. These students are the ones who may find themselves surprised not to be waiting in long lines at airport.

“There’s no direct flight for me, so it’s even more expensive, but if you think about it what am I going to do?” said Laiter, who will be flying home to Wisconsin for both vacations.

Some students feel their presence at home during the holiday season is anticipated by their family members.

“It’s not so much the students, it’s the parents that want them to come home,” Oliveira said.

Still, spending the season with family is a staple of the holiday tradition. Some students said that transportation, regardless of bus or plane tickets, is an unavoidable cost.

Even without a direct flight home, Laiter said “seeing my family is much more important than expenses.”