Where Airfare Increased Most in Q3 2023

By Patrick Villanova | NOV 15, 2023

With the holiday season kicking off, travelers will soon flock to airports around the country, braving long security lines and ponying up for flights. While flight price increases have flattened relative to some of the most recent quarters, some airports continue to see fares continue to rise – including 25 major airports that saw fares rise as high as 10% in the last year.

To track where airfares have increased – and decreased – the most, SmartAsset examined the average price of a domestic flight out of 72 major airports over a recent one-year period.

Key Findings

• Flights from Alaska continue to get pricier. Ted Stevens Anchorage International saw a 10% increase between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023. Domestic flights out of the Anchorage airport are also most expensive across the 72 airports with available data, costing an average of $518. 
• Prices fall at JFK and EWR but rise at LGA. Domestic flights out of John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and Newark Liberty International (EWR) airports decreased by 3.2% and 3.1%, respectively, between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023. Meanwhile, flights out of LaGuardia (LGA) – New York’s third major airport – increased 3.1% or seventh highest. However, on average it still costs almost $90 less to fly out of LaGuardia than JFK. 
• Flights are cheapest out of these tourist areas. A pair of Florida airports – Orlando International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International – as well as Harry Reid International in Las Vegas were the three cheapest places to fly from domestically in the second quarter of 2023. Flights from the three airports averaged $272, $273 and $273, respectively. 
• Louisville Muhammad Ali International airport sees nearly a 10% drop in prices. Domestic airfare fell 9.5% over one year at this Kentucky airport, going from $314 to $374. Orlando International (-7.0%), San Francisco International (-6.4%), San Antonio International (-6.3%) and Seattle/Tacoma International (-6.2%) airports also saw large drops.

Biggest Airfare Price Increases

1. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
   Domestic flights departing from ANC in Anchorage rose from $469 in Q2 2022 to $518 in Q2 2023 — a 10.3% increase. This airport served 105,666 passengers in 2022.
2. Bob Hope Airport (BUR)
   The average domestic flight price climbed from $284 to $304 at this Los Angeles area airport, for a 7.0% year-over-year increase. BUR serviced 160,987 passengers in 2022.
3. Miami International Airport (MIA)
   The price of domestic flights from MIA increased by an average of 3.6% between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023, rising from $334 to $346. The airport was busy with 478,823 passengers passing through in 2022. 
4. Metro Oakland International Airport (OAK)
   OAK saw a year-over-year domestic fare increase of nearly 3.6% in Q2 2023, with average prices going from $303 to $314. In 2022, the airport facilitated the travel of 272,223 passengers.
5. Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
   RNO reported an average fare increase of 3.3% between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023. The average price of domestic flight out of Reno went from $406 to $419. The airport saw 100,069 passengers in 2022.
6. Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL)
   The average domestic fare from Dallas rose by 3.1% between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023, going from $346 to $357. A total of 268,490 passengers used the airport in 2022.
7. LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
   LGA saw average domestic fares go up by 3.1%, rising $333 from $323. LGA was one of the busiest airports in the country in 2022 when 672,207 passengers flew from it. 
8. Spokane International Airport (GEG)
   Average domestic flights from Spokane's GEG increased by 3.0% between Q2 2022 and Q3 2022. The average price of a departing flight rose from $438 to $451 over the course of a year. Meanwhile, the airport served 104,809 passengers in 2022.
9. Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP)
   MSP in Minneapolis had a $12 rise in average fare, going from $410 to $422. That equated to a 2.9% increase in prices. The airport recorded 592,925 passengers in 2022.
10. St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
    Domestic flights from STL went up 2.8% between Q2 2022 and Q3 2023. The average price of a departure from St. Louis rose to $400 from $389. In 2022, a total of 290,937 passengers used this airport.

10 Airports With the Biggest Price Drops

1. Louisville Muhammad Ali International (SDF)
   Domestic airfares at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport saw a 9.5% decrease from Q3 2022 to Q3 2023, dropping from $414 to $374, despite serving 106,632 passengers in 2022.
2. Orlando International (MCO)
   Orlando International Airport saw a 7.0% reduction in domestic airfare prices over the year, with costs falling from $292 in Q3 2022 to $272 in Q3 2023. The airport managed a substantial passenger volume of 809,938 in 2022.
3. San Francisco International (SFO)
   Airfare at San Francisco International Airport decreased by 6.5% between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023, going down from $499 to $466. This price change was recorded amidst handling 745,559 passengers in 2022.
4. San Antonio International (SAT)
   At San Antonio International Airport, there was a 6.3% drop in airfare, from $420 in Q3 2022 to $394 in Q3 2023. The airport catered to 241,700 passengers in 2022.
5. Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
   Seattle/Tacoma International witnessed a 6.2% fall in airfares, from $437 in Q3 2022 to $410 in Q3 2023, while serving 815,080 passengers in the previous year.
6. Harry Reid International (LAS)
   Harry Reid International Airport recorded a 5.6% decrease in airfare, reducing from $290 in Q3 2022 to $273 in Q3 2023, amidst handling 687,806 passengers in 2022.
7. Raleigh-Durham International (RDU)
   Raleigh-Durham International Airport experienced a 5.5% decline in airfare prices, going from $404 in Q3 2022 to $382 in Q3 2023, with a total of 327,718 passengers in 2022.
8. Charleston AFB/International (CHS)
   Charleston AFB/International Airport saw a 5.3% reduction in domestic airfare, from $366 in Q3 2022 to $347 in Q3 2023, serving 122,207 passengers in the previous year.
9. Kansas City International (MCI)
   Kansas City International Airport reported a 5.3% drop in airfare, from $425 in Q3 2022 to $403 in Q3 2023, with 262,674 passengers served in 2022.
10. Portland International (PDX)
    Portland International Airport observed a 5.2% decrease in airfare, from $443 in Q3 2022 to $420 in Q3 2023, while accommodating 400,840 passengers in 2022.

Data and Methodology

This study used U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data to track average airfare prices at U.S. airports that served at least 100,000 or more passengers in 2022. Data was from Q2 2023 and Q2 2022. A total of 72 major airports were ranked by the percent increase in fares.

Tips for Traveling

• Plan ahead. It probably won’t mean buying flights or planning trips years in advance, but it’s never too early to begin to plan for your future retirement lifestyle and get a sense of how much you’ll be able to spend on travel. Here are some other tips for preparing for a travel-oriented retirement.
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Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com

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