15 Airports Seeing the Biggest Increases in Airfares

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Upgraded Points.

After pandemic-era safety restrictions and protocols upended worldwide air travel, the airline industry is finally returning to normalcy. Airline passenger traffic in the U.S. decreased an astounding 96% in April 2020 compared with the year prior, impacting not only commercial travel but all of the industries that support it.

Nearly four years later, America’s appetite for air travel has rebounded and the industry is returning to business as usual. COVID-19-related public health protocols have been rescinded, international air travel restrictions are easing, and domestic passenger volume surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

However, while air travel conditions have improved, high ticket prices remain a major concern for travelers in 2024.

The cost of a round-trip flight decreased significantly at the onset of the pandemic, reflecting a reduced demand from travelers during the uncertain times.

Airfares stabilized in 2023, but some airports saw their average round-trip ticket price significantly rise, with small hub airports seeing the biggest year-over-year increases.

The following is a breakdown of airfare changes for large airports in the U.S. The analysis was conducted by Upgraded Points using data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. For more information on the data, see the methodology section at the end.

1. Miami International (MIA)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 8.2%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $35.28
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $462.97
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $427.69

2. Salt Lake City International (SLC)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 6.0%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $29.79
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $527.26
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $497.47

3. Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 5.3%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $24.74
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $494.45
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $469.71

4. LaGuardia (LGA)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 5.1%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $19.22
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $396.27
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $377.05

5. Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 3.7%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $16.49
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $457.99
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $441.50

6. John F. Kennedy International (JFK)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 3.6%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $18.20
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $528.67
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $510.47

7. Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 3.2%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $14.39
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $469.69
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $455.30

8. Detroit Metro Wayne County (DTW)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 2.2%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $10.75
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $490.55
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $479.80

9. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 1.6%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $6.56
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $419.48
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $412.92

10. Austin — Bergstrom International (AUS)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 1.4%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $6.20
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $443.26
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $437.06

11. Harry Reid International (LAS)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 0.6%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $1.98
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $353.11
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $351.13

12. Logan International (BOS)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 0.5%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $2.26
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $487.14
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $484.88

13. San Diego International (SAN)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 0.2%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $0.95
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $466.19
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $465.24

14. Chicago Midway International (MDW)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): 0.0%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): $0.15
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $360.21
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $360.06

15. Newark Liberty International (EWR)

• Percentage Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): -0.1%
• Total Change in Average Ticket Price (2022-2023): -$0.53
• Average Ticket Price (2023): $483.24
• Average Ticket Price (2022): $483.77

Methodology

To determine the airports with the most significant increase in airfare this year, researchers at Upgraded Points analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ Airline Origin and Destination Survey.

The researchers calculated the percentage change in average ticket price for round-trip itineraries from the first three quarters of 2022 to the same period in 2023. In the event of a tie, the airport with the greater total change in average round-trip ticket price during the same time span was ranked higher.

Both nonstop and connecting itineraries were included in the calculations, while bulk fares, itinerary fares less than $50, and itinerary yields (itinerary fare per miles flown) greater than $3 were all excluded from the analysis.