Travel

Average Domestic Air Fares

NOTE: City-level data - select up to 3 airports and/or metropolitan areas and click Submit button. Graphics scales may vary by city.

Spirit Airlines data for the six quarters from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2009, which had been withheld from previous releases pending revision, have been updated and are included in this release.

Average fares in cities in which Southwest Airlines has a large market share may not be comparable for the period before 1998. Before 1998, Southwest reported all passengers as one-way passengers with one-way fares. Beginning 3rd Quarter 1998, the Department of Transportation removed the reporting exemption and Southwest began reporting complete round-trip journeys. Southwest's reported fares roughly doubled after the reporting change.

BTS average fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees, such as baggage fees, paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or"zero fares" or a few abnormally high reported fares.