If you think it’s costing more to fly these days, it’s not just your imagination. Airfare has indeed risen significantly over the past two years.
For instance, the national average cost of airfare was $397 in the second quarter of this year, according to SmartAsset, which offers consumer-focused financial information. That’s a 21 percent increase over the cost of airfare in the second quarter of 2021. It’s also the highest national average cost of airfare since 2014, SmartAsset notes.
To determine what that means to travelers, we analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
First, we identified the 100 busiest U.S. airports based on the number of domestic travelers in 2021, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Next, we looked at the average cost of a domestic flight out of those airports in the second quarter of 2022 and compared that price to the average cost of a domestic flight out of those same airports in the second quarter of 2021 to get a price comparison.
Finally, we narrowed the results to identify the most expensive airports to fly out of.
So, let’s get to it. Here are the 10 most expensive airports to fly out of in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Dane County Regional Airport (Truax Field), Wisconsin
In the second quarter of 2022, the average cost of a domestic flight out of Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, was $526. In the second quarter of 2021, however, the average cost of a domestic flight was just $391, or $135 less.
Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia
The average cost of a domestic flight out of Washington Dulles County Regional Airport, Dulles, Virginia, in the second quarter of 2022 was $526. In the second quarter of 2021, the average cost of a domestic flight was $395, which was $131 less.
Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport, Alabama
In the second quarter of 2022, the average cost of a domestic flight out of Birmingham–Shuttlesworth in Birmingham, Alabama, was $503. During that same quarter in 2021, the average cost of a domestic flight was $366. That’s a $137 increase.
San Francisco International Airport, California
The average cost of a domestic flight out of San Francisco’s international airport in the second quarter of this year was $499. In the second quarter of 2021, however, the average cost of a domestic flight was $389, $110 less.
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, South Carolina
In the second quarter of 2022, the average cost of a domestic flight out of Greenville-Spartanburg, Greer, South Carolina, cost $490. Last year, that same ticket was $129 less. The average cost of a domestic flight then was $361.
Piedmont Triad International Airport, North Carolina
The average cost of a domestic flight out of Piedmont Triad International in Greensboro, North Carolina, earlier this year was $486. During the same period in 2021, however, the average cost was $359, or $127 less.
Fresno Yosemite International Airport
In the second quarter of 2022, the average cost of a domestic flight out of Fresno, California’s Fresno Yosemite International was $474. That price is up $141 from last year. In the second quarter of 2021, the average cost of a domestic flight was just $333.
Tucson International Airport, Arizona
The average cost of a domestic flight out of the international airport in Tucson in the second quarter of 2022 was $470. On the other hand, in the second quarter of 2021, that same ticket cost $341. The difference between those tickets is $129.
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Alaska
In the second quarter of 2022, the average cost of a domestic flight out of the airport in Anchorage was $469. However, in the second quarter of 2021, the average cost of a domestic flight was $386, which was $83 less.
Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field, Arkansas
The average cost of a domestic flight out of Adams Field in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the second quarter of this year was $466. In the second quarter of 2021, that same ticket cost $342. The difference between those tickets is $124.
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