Figures from the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) show that the average domestic airfare increased to $396 in the second quarter of 2014, up 2.5% from the average fare of $386 in the second quarter of 2013, adjusted for inflation.
During that April to June period, passengers originating in Cincinnati, Ohio, paid the highest average fare, $523, while passengers originating in Sanford, Florida, paid the lowest, $111.
Second-quarter fares rose 17.0% adjusted for inflation from the recession-affected low of $334 in 2009 to the second quarter of 2011. Since 2011, second quarter fares have shown little change, increasing 1.4% from 2011 to 2014.
The second-quarter 2014 fare was down 16.2% adjusted for inflation from the average fare of $472 in 1999, the highest inflation-adjusted second quarter average fare in the 19 years since BTS began collecting airfare records in 1995. The 16.2% decline took place while overall consumer prices rose 43.4%. Since 1995, inflation-adjusted fares declined 14.7% compared to a 56.3% increase in overall consumer prices.
US passenger airlines collected 71.4% of their total revenue from passenger fares during the second quarter of 2014, down from 1990 when 87.6% of airline revenue was received from fares.