Average airfares for domestic travel declined by 3.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the same quarter a year ago, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The fares were calculated by the BTS based on the price charged by airlines at time of ticket purchase, including additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at time of ticket purchase. Fees for optional services, such as baggage fees were also included.
The itinerary fares includes those incurred in both round trips and one-ways. In Q1 2018, 39 percent of trips were one way with an average price of $253, while 61 percent were round trips averaging $413.
The highest average fare of $467 was reported at six airports with 50,000 to 100,000 originating domestic passengers and the lowest fare of $319 was reported at 11 airports with 1.0 to 1.49 million originating domestic passengers.
