Huntsville International (HSV) had the highest average domestic round trip airfare among the nation’s top 100 airports in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The data excludes airports in Alaska and Hawaii.
HSV’s average airfare was $528 in the quarter. Other airports in the top five included Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International (CVG) with an average airfare of $510, Washington Dulles International (IAD) with an average airfare of $506, Newark Liberty International (EWR) at $499 per round-trip on average, and George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) with an average fare of $498.
With JetBlue as its dominant carrier, Long Beach (LGB) registered the lowest average airfare in the fourth quarter of 2013 at $249 per round trip. Las Vegas’ McCarran International’s (LAS) average fare came in at $255, while Burbank Bob Hope (BUR) came in at $281 per round trip. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International had an average round-trip fare of $289 and Dallas Love Field (DAL)’s average price came in at $291 per round-trip fare.
The average fare for all U.S. airports was $381 in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 0.3 percent from the average fare of $380 in the fourth quarter of 2012, adjusted for inflation in constant 2013 dollars.
Several airports had sharp swings in airfare averages. The largest increase in average airfare came at Colorado Springs (COS), where the average fare jumped 15.6 percent to $441 in Q4 2013, compared to the same period in 2012. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL), registered a 9 percent increase to an average domestic airfare of $399. New York’s LaGuardia had an 8.4 percent increase to $390 per round-trip, Orlando International had an 8.3 percent average airfare gain to $303 and Southwest Florida International (RSW) registered a 7.2 percent increase to $326 per round trip, on average.
Three airports had double-digit declines in average airfares. The average airfare Eastern Iowa (CID) fell 16.5 percent to $370 per round trip in Q4 2013, compared to Q4 2012. McGhee Tyson (TYS) registered a 14.3 percent drop to $403, and Memphis International (MEM) had a 10.8 percent airfare decline to $434 per round trip. Also among the bigger declines was a 7.4 percent drop in average airfares for Fayetteville Regional (FAY), dropping to $485 per round trip, and Harrisburg International with a 7.3 percent decline to $420 per round trip.
