Average cost of flying in the U.S.

If you’re planning to travel for the holidays, knowing how much you should expect to pay for airfare and hotels may help you save money, which continues to be a top priority for holiday travelers this year. Although inflation has slowed since 2023, people are still feeling the pinch on their pockets with 4 out of 5 travelers (83 percent) this year adjusting their holiday travel plans to save money according to Bankrate’s 2024 Holiday Travel survey. 

Instead of planning more of the over-the-top, international “revenge travel” that fueled high growth in 2023, people are choosing to stick closer to home. Domestic tourism, globally the largest share of tourism, is expected to grow by 3 percent annually and represent 70 percent of spending by 2030, according to data from McKinsey & Company’s 2024 State of Tourism report.

This year, just over a fifth (22 percent) of holiday travelers expect to take on debt by financing their trip with a credit card and carrying a balance. Another 37 percent expect to pay off holiday travel purchases from their credit cards in full to avoid interest, Bankrate’s 2024 survey reveals. 

Making a plan to pay for your holiday travel is easier if you have some idea of what you can expect to spend. Here’s the average cost of domestic airfare in the U.S. and the cheapest time to fly, as well as other pricing statistics and travel tips that might help you avoid those sky-high ticket prices.

Average cost of domestic airfare in the U.S.

Here’s a look at the average cost of airfare for domestic flights out of the top 10 busiest airports in the U.S. in Q2 of 2024, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Airline price statistics

• Prices for airline tickets decreased by 2.4 percent between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024 from a national average of $391.79 to an average of $382.25 according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
• Prices for airline tickets increased by 1.6 percent between September 2023 and September 2024, going from an average of $246.15 to an average of $250.03. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• The most expensive airport among the 50 states to fly out of for domestic travel is Unalakleet (UNK) in Alaska with an average cost of $1,405.50 (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
• The least expensive airport to fly out among the 50 states for domestic travel is Branson MO (BKG) with an average cost of $96.85 (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
• The average cost of a “good deal” U.S. domestic round-trip airline ticket for September 2024 is $264, which is 7 percent lower than 2019 prices (Hopper)
• 22 percent of U.S. adults expect to take on credit card debt in order to travel for the holidays this year (Bankrate)

Average flight cost changes in the U.S.

A number of factors determine airfare prices in the U.S., including the flight’s distance, the time of year you’ll be traveling, the cost of fuel and your time of purchase.

The average cost of flying in the U.S. fell dramatically during the pandemic in 2020, but revenge travel fueled higher costs after the pandemic.

Last year, travel demand, jet fuel prices and airline staffing challenges contributed to high ticket prices. While some staffing challenges still remain, many travel companies are in a better place to meet demand this year, especially since they’re not expecting as much travel demand growth as last year. Jet fuel prices are also down 4 percent from April 2023, according to Q2 2024 data from Hopper, but remain 34 percent higher than they were in 2019.

It appears that these factors are resulting in benefits for consumers. The average cost of domestic flight travel is now close to 2019 levels, according to BLS data:

5 most (and least) expensive origin cities for domestic airfare

Plane ticket prices vary greatly across the country; discrepancies that can be chalked up to a number of factors, including the difference in the number of airlines that serve that particular airport and overall demand for flights. It will likely cost you more to fly into a smaller airport with less foot traffic than one of the nation’s major airports.

So how much does a plane ticket cost? Here’s a look at the top five most expensive airports to fly out of versus the top five most affordable airports, based on how much you can expect to pay for airfare. All data is from the Q2 2024 report of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

 Top 5 most expensive airports

Top 5 most affordable airports

When is the cheapest time to fly?

If you’re planning on traveling for the holidays you’ll want to book your flights as soon as possible. Recent data from Google Flights suggests that the most cost-effective time to book your domestic Thanksgiving flight is 26 to 59 days from departure. For Christmas, prices are the lowest between 36 to 72 days out with the lowest price point at 58 days before departure — so around the end of October. Flights in November and July, on the other hand, are the most expensive. For summer travel, planning for a July or August departure date could help you rake in more savings as long as you book flights 13 to 43 days out. 

As for the cheapest day of the week to fly, a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday flight out could save you about 13 percent compared to flying Friday through Sunday according to Google Flights. However, Expedia found that the cheapest day of the week to travel was on Thursdays which saved travelers up to 16 percent. Departing on Sundays was the most expensive day to travel.

If you’re wondering when is the best day to book tickets, shoot for Sundays as it could save you up to 13 percent on the cost of your flight according to Expedia’s 2024 Travel Hacks report. You may also want to avoid booking on Fridays since booking on that day of the week was found to be the most expensive. 

How to save on air travel

Despite high prices, there are still a few strategies you can use to trim your overall costs when booking a flight. Those strategies include:

• Opt for a travel card: The top travel credit cards can help you earn valuable rewards to put toward flights, hotel stays and other travel-related expenses. If you already have a travel card, see if there are any rewards you can redeem to maximize your savings. You may also be able to cut down on other costs like travel insurance since many top travel cards come with numerous travel protections.
• Book ahead: Timing is everything and can translate to major savings when purchasing airline tickets. The best time to book a domestic flight is between 21 and 52 days before your travel date, according to the same study conducted by Google Flights. Expedia’s 2024 Air Travel Hacks Report offers similar guidance, with the recommendation of booking a domestic flight at least 28 days before departure.
• Set price alerts: Monitoring flight prices can be a job in and of itself. Automate where you can. Sites like Skyscanner, Hopper, Kayak and Google Flights let you set price alerts and will notify you when the airline ticket you’re hoping to purchase drops below a certain price point.
• Be flexible: Not only does the timing of your ticket purchase matter, but when you choose to fly is key to saving money as well. When you start planning your trip, see if there’s any flexibility in when you plan to venture off. If you can travel during the middle of the week or on a Saturday, you may save a considerable amount on airfare.
• Use your credit card rewards: Don’t forget to use any stockpiled rewards to cut down on the price of airline tickets or pay for it in full. It’s a tactic that 24 percent of holiday travelers are planning to use to help them cut down on costs according to Bankrate data. 

The bottom line

With a busy travel season ahead, it’s important to make your travel plans early and keep in mind that flexibility is key when scoring the lowest fare. Search around your area to see if flying out of a different airport could help you save. And if you have some wiggle room in your schedule, see if changing your travel dates could cut down your costs as well.

Lastly, set yourself up for success by allowing for enough time to do your research, monitoring and comparing deals and looking for ways to put your reward credit card points to good use so that you can rake in extra savings.

Bankrate’s Travel Toolkit can help you find even more ways to save as you plan for your next trip, whether you’re flying domestically to visit family or flying internationally to go on that big vacation abroad.