The average airfare on domestic flights was down in the first quarter of the year in comparison to previous years.
The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics released the numbers regarding the cost of airfare on domestic flights last week. Overall, the average cost of a ticket was down 3.1 percent from the same period in 2017. The average itinerary fare for the first quarter of 2018 was $346 compared to $360 from the same period last year.
The prices listed include taxes and fees at the time of the ticket purchase, but not optional fees, including those for baggage.
Compared to the fourth quarter of 2017, the average fare was down 1.1 percent, from $350 per itinerary.
The statistics include round-trip fares where applicable. If no return flight was purchased, one-way trips were included. One-way trips averaged $253, while round-trip fares averaged $413. More than 60 percent of the fares included in the statistics were round-trip.
The highest average fares for the first quarter of any year were recorded in 1999, when the average itinerary cost $501. The USBTS has collected statistics regarding airfare since 1995.
The decrease in average fare price happens at a time when traffic on American-based airlines is at an all-time high. U.S. airlines carried a seasonally adjusted all-time high of 73.8 million passengers in April 2018.
How often do you fly domestically? Have you noticed the price drop? Tell us. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.
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