Dulles International Airport ranks as the most expensive airport for average domestic airfare for the fourth consecutive year, according to annual data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
FinanceBuzz ranked airports based on 2024 fares, and included only roundtrip domestic fares, ruling out any impact from more expensive international flights at Dulles, or other airports with significant international routes.
The average domestic fare at Dulles in 2024 was $490, about $2 more than the average in 2023, Dulles tops the list of the 45 busiest U.S. airports for fares, despite ranking below average for passenger volume.
BWI Marshall Airport ranks as the 15th-least expensive, with an average domestic fare in 2024 of $362.30. Reagan National Airport ranks in the middle of large airports, at No. 24, with an average domestic fare of $379.60.
The second-most expensive airport for domestic fares in 2024 was San Francisco International at an average of $453, followed by Salt Lake City at $434, Detroit at $432 and John F. Kennedy at $427.
Fort Lauderdale had the cheapest domestic airfare last year, averaging just $265. Orlando was second-cheapest at $276, followed by Las Vegas at $285, Chicago Midway at $307 and Oakland International at $319.
Overall, FinanceBuzz said the national average cost for domestic fares fell by 2.3% from 2023 to 2024, when adjusted for inflation, the second year in a row that inflation-adjusted fares fell. When not adjusted for inflation, average fares rose just 0.6% last year.
Full rankings of domestic air fares for the 45 largest U.S. airports by passenger volume can be found on FinanceBuzz.
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