Ready to book holiday travel? These are the most expensive California airports
The average price of a flight in the U.S. rose slightly this year, nearing pre-pandemic fares. But the price of a flight can vary depending on where you’re flying from.
The average domestic flight cost rose 1.5% in the second quarter of 2023 to $392, up from the first quarter’s $386 (adjusted for inflation), according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. But that price is down 5.1% from the second quarter of 2022.
The average flight in the second quarter of 2023 is still down 7.1% from the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Consumer Price Index increased 3.7% since September 2022, according to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
SmartAsset, a financial advice website, compared 72 major airports across the U.S. using BTS data from quarter one and found the average domestic airfare increased the most at Miami International Airport, with a percent change of 31% since early 2022.
Flights from Anchorage, Alaska, were the most expensive at an average of $509, and flights from Harry Reid International Airport near Las Vegas were the cheapest at $270.
Flights from Washington Dulles International were the second most expensive at $487, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul International ($455.65), Charlotte Douglas International ($454) and Salt Lake City International ($449).
These are the most expensive airports in California, by average cost of flights in Q2 of 2023, according to BTS data adjusted for inflation:
LAX — Los Angeles — $425
SFO — San Francisco — $466
SAN — San Diego — $390
SMF — Sacramento — $408
SJC — San Jose — $347
OAK — Oakland — $314
SNA — Santa Ana — $401
ONT — Ontario — $393
BUR — Burbank — $304
Choosing a different airport could save you money. For example, Oakland’s airport is about a 35 to 45 minute drive to San Francisco’s, but it could save you $152 on average.
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This story was originally published October 21, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Ready to book holiday travel? These are the most expensive California airports."
