US Air Fares Rise to $428 as Domestic Travel Costs Increase

US Air Fares Rise to $428 as Domestic Travel Costs Increase

June 25, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

US domestic air fares climbed to 428 US dollars on average in the first quarter of 2026, the highest first-quarter level recorded on an unadjusted basis, as ticket prices increased compared with the previous quarter, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

The average fare in the first three months of the year was 4.7 percent higher than the inflation-adjusted fourth-quarter 2025 average of 409 US dollars. On a non-adjusted basis, fares increased 5.7 percent from 405 US dollars in the previous quarter.

The BTS data, which tracks the total value paid by passengers when purchasing tickets, includes airline charges required for travel as well as taxes and fees collected at the time of purchase. Optional services such as baggage charges, seat upgrades and seat selection fees are excluded.

Travel patterns during the quarter showed that round-trip tickets accounted for 55 percent of journeys, with an average fare of 522 US dollars. One-way tickets represented 45 percent of travel, averaging 305 US dollars.

Despite the quarterly increase, inflation-adjusted fares remain below historical highs. The first-quarter 2026 average was 35.1 percent lower than the record inflation-adjusted fare of $660 recorded in the first quarter of 1999 and 33.6 percent below the $644 average recorded when BTS began tracking fares in 1995.

The latest figure was also higher than recent pandemic-era lows, rising 17.4 percent from the inflation-adjusted low of 364 US dollars recorded in the second quarter of 2021 and 38.7 percent above the lowest quarterly level of 308 US dollars recorded in the third quarter of 2020.

Airlines have increasingly relied on revenue streams beyond ticket sales in recent years. Passenger fares accounted for 71.8 percent of the 45.9 billion US dollars in operating revenue collected by US passenger airlines during the first quarter of 2026, compared with 88.5 percent in 1990.

The BTS said the latest figures are based on a new ticket data collection system introduced in the third quarter of 2025. Under the updated system, the agency expanded its ticket sampling coverage from 10 percent to 40 percent of tickets sold by US airlines operating scheduled passenger services.

Source: FSX Business News