According to the US Department of Transportation, airfares are now at an all time high. The average fare for the 2nd quarter of 2008 was $352. That’s up nearly 8% from a year ago. Travelers are definitely feeling the surge in prices. However, the averages for individual airports vary wildly. Cincinnati has it worst. With fares averaging $595, it is the most expensive airport to fly out of in the country. Like many similar-sized cities, Cinci has an airport with fewer carriers and fewer direct routes than big city airports. Lack of options almost always means higher prices.
On the other end of the spectrum, Love Field in Dallas has a fare average of $221. Though it is smaller and older than Dallas/Ft. Worth International, Love Field’s West terminal is dominated by Southwest Airlines, which is known for its cheaper fares. American Eagle and Continental Express offer flights to Houston and Chicago O’Hare from the airport’s other terminal. LA’s Burbank Airport, second fiddle to LAX, also has a low fare average ($252).It looks like having a second airport in your city is never a bad thing.