Average flight costs: Travel, airfare and flight statistics 2024

Key points

• Flight costs at major U.S. airports have increased an average of 29% since 2021.
• Of the 100 busiest airports in the U.S., Orlando Sanford International Airport has the cheapest flights.
• The most expensive airport to fly out of is Ted Stevens Anchorage International, and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the country to travel through.

The United States has 19,969 airports, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.¹ Of those, 5,193 are for public use and 14,776 are private airports.² Below, we’ll break down important airfare and flight statistics across these major airports, with a particular focus on:

• Flight costs and how they’ve changed in recent years.
• The cheapest airports to fly out of.
• The most expensive airports to fly out of.
• The busiest airports and times to travel.
• How to find the cheapest flights.

What are the cheapest and most expensive airports in the U.S.?

Of the nearly 450 major U.S. airports tracked by the United States Department of Transportation, the most expensive airport is Guam International Airport. Airline tickets there cost an average of $1,725.11.¹

The cheapest airport to fly out of in the United States is Mobile International Airport in Mobile, Alabama, where ticket costs average $78.65.¹

However, if we narrow down our analysis to major airports only — the 100 busiest by passenger volume — then the cheapest airport in the U.S. is Orlando Sanford International Airport in Sanford, Florida, where the average flight costs $126.48.¹

And of those 100 busiest airports, Ted Stevens Anchorage International in Anchorage, Alaska, is the most expensive airport. Here, the average ticket costs $516.95.¹

Average flight costs at major airports

The average airfare for a roundtrip flight within the U.S. is $367.79.¹ But the airport you choose can have a major impact on how much you’ll spend on a flight.

The table below shows the average cost of airfare at the 100 busiest airports in the U.S.

What are the cheapest flights and most expensive flights?

Of the 1,000 largest city-pair markets in the 48 contiguous states, the most expensive average fare is for the flight from Eagle, Colorado, to Miami, Florida, which costs an average of $676.89.³ 

The cheapest flight goes from Orlando, Florida, to Trenton, New Jersey, and costs an average of $78.73 per ticket.³

The longest flight in the contiguous U.S. is Miami, Florida, to Seattle, Washington, at 2,724 miles. The shortest major flight in the contiguous U.S. is Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, at only 129 miles.³

There are more than 45,000 daily flights in the U.S., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).⁴ When looking at domestic flights, here are the 25 cheapest flights and the 25 most expensive flights by average ticket price.³

How have flight prices changed in recent years?

Since 2021, the average price of a roundtrip ticket has increased 29%, meaning people are paying $86 more than they were just a few years ago.¹

What’s behind these airfare increases? Greater demand, higher fuel prices and airline capacity issues are the main reasons for the increase in flight costs. However, price hikes have hit some airports harder than others.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Regional Airport has experienced the biggest increase in average airfare by origin city at 48%. In all, flight prices have increased at 97 of the nation’s 100 busiest airports.

What is the busiest airport in the United States?

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the United States, with 61,226,507 passenger seats available in 2023.⁵ The table below showcases the top 10 busiest airports in the U.S. last year.

What is the busiest airport in the world?

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport isn’t only the busiest airport in the United States, it’s also the busiest airport in the world. Dubai International and Tokyo International round out the top three, but in all, five of the 10 busiest airports in the world are located in the U.S.⁵

What are the busiest air travel days of the year?

Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year at U.S. airports. Last year, 2,908,785 people flew nationwide on that day.⁶ Traveling around Christmas can also be chaotic, especially on Dec. 22.

Of the 15 busiest days of the year for air travel at U.S. airports, most occur during the summer months of June and July, though October also has its fair share of busy air travel days.

The slowest plane travel day is Jan. 31, with 1,534,786 people traveling through America’s airports. On average 2,352,187 people travel by plane each day in the U.S.

What are the busiest months for air travel?

Despite dates in November and June being the top two busiest days for air travel last year, the busiest month for air travel overall was July. In July 2023, 79,847,051 people traveled by plane in the U.S. 

June and August were similarly busy, with roughly 77 million and 75 million air travelers respectively. February is the slowest travel month of the year, with 58.3 million passengers in the United States, though it also has fewer days than other months.

The table below shows the total passenger volume at U.S. airports each month in 2023.

What is the cheapest day of the week to fly?

Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to fly domestically, according to data from Hopper.⁷ Saturday and Sunday are the most expensive days to fly within the U.S. 

Below is the average airfare for each day of the week for domestic flights.

When is the best time to book a flight?

The best time to book a flight is 25 to 38 days before departure if you are traveling domestically, according to Expedia.⁸ The best time to book a flight if you are traveling internationally is about two months before departure, though you are taking a gamble that flights won’t sell out by then.

Booking a domestic flight a month before departure is 10% cheaper than booking at the last minute, on average. Booking for international flights peaks early — you’ll generally need to buy your tickets six months before departure to save that 10% on airfare.

Which airline has the most canceled or delayed flights?

Frontier Airlines had the most delayed flights in 2023, with 33% of flights delayed. Delta Airlines had the fewest delayed flights; only 16% of Delta flights were delayed last year.¹

JetBlue had the highest number of canceled flights in 2023, with more than 2.6% of flights getting canceled. Alaska Airlines had the fewest canceled flights in 2023. Less than 1% of the airline’s flights were canceled in 2023.¹

Buying travel insurance can help protect you financially if your flight is delayed or canceled. Trip delay is one of the key things covered by travel insurance. Given the major issues airlines have with daily flight cancellations and delays, getting an affordable travel insurance policy is a wise idea.

Below is a list of each major airline’s percentage of on-time, delayed, canceled and diverted flights. In all, 77% of airline flights were on time, 21% were delayed, 1.45% were canceled and 0.25% were diverted in 2023.¹

How much is travel insurance?

Given the volatility of the airline industry, it’s a good idea to purchase comprehensive travel insurance when booking a flight. On average, travel insurance costs between 5% and 6% of your nonrefundable trip expenses.

That means insuring a $10,000 trip (all nonrefundable) might cost $500 to $600. Insuring a much less expensive trip (say $1,000) would thus be more affordable ($50 to $60).

Not sure where to purchase a policy? Start with our roundup of the best travel insurance companies of 2024.

Article sources

1. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
2. Statista
3. U.S. Department of Transportation
4. Federal Aviation Administration
5. OAG
6. Transportation Security Administration
7. Hopper
8. Expedia