Indianapolis outranks regional competitors for lowest airfares in first quarter 2009
INDIANAPOLIS—According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s first quarter 2009 air fare data (compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics or BTS), Indianapolis continues to outshine other Midwestern airports with low fares.
In fact, of the top 100 U.S. airports, only 21 have lower fares than Indianapolis, which averaged fares of $276.
According to BTS, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport has the nation’s second-most expensive fares with an average domestic origination fare of $446. Long Beach and Oakland, CA, have the nation’s lowest fares at $207 and $227, respectively.
The agency reports average domestic air fares dropped 9.1 percent in the first quarter of 2009 from the fourth quarter of 2008. The $315 average first-quarter fares were down 12.5 percent from record high average of $360 during third quarter of 2008.
Average fares have risen less than the inflation rate since 2005. First-quarter 2009 average fares rose 4.5 percent from the post-9/11 first-quarter low of $301 in 2005, less than the inflation rate of 10 percent.
Since 1995, air fares have risen 6.1 percent compared to a 40.5 percent inflation rate. From 2001, when the previous first-quarter high was set, fares declined 9.4 percent compared to a 20.7 inflation rate.
The fare data does not include frequent-flyer fares. Only the price paid at the time of ticket purchase is tracked. Other fees paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft are not tracked.
Other airports in the Midwest/Great Lakes region and their rankings are:
| Rank | Airport | Q1 2009 avg. fare |
| 2 | Cincinnati, OH | $446 |
| 3 | Grand Rapids, MI | $418 |
| 7 | Memphis, TN | $396 |
| 10 | Knoxville, TN | $390 |
| 15 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | $377 |
| 16 | Madison, WI | $375 |
| 22 | Wichita, KS | $344 |
| 25 | Oklahoma City, OK | $341 |
| 27 | Chicago O’Hare | $338 |
| 28 | Cleveland, OH | $334 |
| 44 | Detroit, MI | $316 |
| 46 | Louisville, KY | $310 |
| 57 | St. Louis, MO | $298 |
| 58 | Dayton, OH | $296 |
| 62 | Nashville, TN | $289 |
| 64 | Kansas City | $287 |
| 68 | Columbus, OH | $284 |
| 75 | Flint, MI | $279 |
| 79 | INDIANAPOLIS | $276 |
| 89 | Akron/Canton, OH | $256 |
| 94 | Chicago Midway | $248 |
According to BTS, industry trends reveal more passengers are obtaining lower air fares even though fare levels continue to rise.
Low-cost carriers now carry more than 27 percent of all domestic enplaned passengers, up from about 14 percent in 1995. Mainline carriers have changed some of their fare rules, including the Saturday night stay-over rule, which allows more passengers to purchase lower fares. In addition, Internet utilization allows almost instant price comparisons that give passengers an unprecedented opportunity for low-fare shopping.
For more information, including historic fare data and frequently asked questions about the Airline Travel Price Index or ATPI, visit http://www.bts.gov/xml/atpi/src/index.xml.