Second-Quarter 2018 Air Fare Data
The second quarter 2018 average domestic itinerary air fare of $349 was the lowest second-quarter fare since the Bureau of Transportation Statistics began collecting such records in 1995 and the second lowest of any quarter.
Adjusted for inflation, the 2Q2018 air fare was:
- Down 4.5 percent from 2Q 2017 ($366)
- Down 0.3 percent from 1Q 2018 ($350)
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, BTS Air Fares, Origin and Destination Survey
Inflation-Adjusted Air Fares (Constant 2018 dollars)
Figure 1. U.S. Average Domestic Fares, 2nd Quarter 1995-2018
Unadjusted 2Q Fares (current dollars) | Inflation-Adjusted 2Q Fares (2018 $) | 1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | 297 | 490 | 2 | ||
1996 | 276 | 443 | 3 | ||
1997 | 289 | 454 | 4 | ||
1998 | 301 | 465 | 5 |
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Origin and Destination Survey
Other Revenue: In recent years, airlines obtained additional revenue from passenger fees, as well as from other sources. U.S. passenger airlines collected 73.7 percent of total revenue from passenger fares during the first six months of 2018, down from 87.6 percent in 1995.
Fares by Airport
Figure 2. Fares by Airport Group based on Number of Originating Domestic Passengers 2Q 2018
Originating Domestic Passengers | 2Q Fares (current dollars) | 1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2M+ | 351 | 2 | |||
1.5M-2M | 325 | 3 | |||
1M-1.5M | 336 | 4 | |||
500K-1M | 345 | 5 |
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Origin and Destination Survey
Additional data: see Top 100 Airports or All Airports. Fares for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico airports are not included in rankings but are available on the web page. Third Quarter 2018 average fare data will be released Jan. 15.
Standard error: Results for average fares are based on the BTS Origin & Destination Survey, a 10 percent sample of airline tickets used during the quarter. Averages for airports with smaller samples may be less reliable.
Note: For results based on all itinerary fares, the standard error is 0.26. The 90 percent confidence interval ranges from $348.73 to $349.60. For results based on round-trip fares, the standard error is 0.32. The 90 percent confidence interval ranges from $423.47 to $424.51. For results based on one-way fares, the standard error is 0.33. The 90 percent confidence interval ranges from $249.16 to $250.25.