Spring break is almost here, with many Americans planning getaways.
A new LendingTree study revealed that spring air travel in 2024 was more affordable than prepandemic in 2019, down 12.7% nationally.
In fact, domestic airfare only rose in this period at one of the 100 largest U.S. airports by traffic — California’s Long Beach Airport — while travelers from the other 99 saw lower fares.
Find out where the biggest drops in airfare occurred and learn strategies for scoring the lowest spring airfare possible.
Key findings
- Spring domestic air travel has become more affordable. The average fare cost $382.27 in the second quarter of 2024 (April, May and June), down 12.7% from an inflation-adjusted $437.99 in Q2 2019.
- In the same 2019-to-2024 spring period, California’s Long Beach Airport was the only one among the 100 largest that saw airfare rise. The average fare there rose 14.4% from $283.73 in Q2 2019 to $324.58 in Q2 2024.
- New York’s Westchester County Airport saw the most significant drop in average airfare in this spring period. Domestic airfare plunged 29.0% from $498.12 in Q2 2019 to $353.72 in Q2 2024.
- Over a more narrow period from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024, nine airports saw fares rise. Airfare at California’s John Wayne Airport-Orange County rose 5.8% from $415.53 to $439.71, while airfare at Florida’s Orlando Sanford International dropped 18.5% from $148.60 to $121.07.
- Spring airfare costs more than $500, on average, at two of the 100 largest airports. Wisconsin’s Dane County Regional-Truax Field ($506.76) and Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International ($503.85) top the spring list. Meanwhile, average airfare costs less than $200 at two Florida airports — Orlando Sanford International ($121.07) and St. Pete Clearwater International ($130.60).
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Domestic spring flights more affordable
The average domestic airfare was about $55 less for spring 2024 travelers than for spring 2019 travelers. In the second quarter of 2024 (April, May and June), the average airfare was $382.27, down 12.7% from an inflation-adjusted $437.99 in Q2 2019. (Note: Averages are primarily based on round-trip flights but include one-way flights when a return wasn’t purchased.)
A possible reason may be more airline seat availability. From Q2 2019 to Q2 2024, U.S. flight capacity increased by 6.5%. More seats available in April, May and June 2024 than in April, May and June 2019 means that last year’s travelers had more options available — and could shop around.
When airline costs decrease, it’s welcome news for travelers, says Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst. “All Americans are tired of prices rising seemingly nonstop for the past few years, so an honest-to-goodness price decrease is a big deal that could influence people to fly more.”
In fact, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the numbers of domestic flyers in April, May and June 2024 reached all-time highs.
Image Credit: LENDINGTREE.
Only 1 airport sees fare increase between Q2 2019, Q2 2024
In the same 2019-to-2024 spring period, California’s Long Beach Airport (LGB) was the only one among the 100 largest by traffic that saw airfare rise. The average fare there rose 14.4% from $283.73 in Q2 2019 to $324.58 in Q2 2024.
One explanation could be growing pains. Long Beach’s flight schedule has seen big changes since 2019 — namely, losing JetBlue as a carrier and Southwest Airlines becoming the dominant carrier, with additional flight slots. Southwest also added long-distance nonstop flights in that time frame, including to Florida’s Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Chicago Midway International (MDW).
Last year, Long Beach also embarked on major infrastructure projects, though that may not be directly related to increasing airfares.
However, travelers out of other Southern California airports enjoyed airfare decreases from spring 2019 to spring 2024. San Diego International (SAN) saw prices drop 8.3%; John Wayne Airport-Orange County (SNA) prices dipped 8.0%; and Los Angeles International (LAX) airfares decreased by 7.9%.
“As with most purchases, keeping your options open and shopping around can save you real money on airfares,” Schulz says. “Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to drive six hours or two states away to save $20. But if there are reasonable alternatives available to you when flying, you’d be foolish not to at least consider them.”
For example, Chicago Midway tends to be cheaper to fly from than Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). That was the case in spring 2024, when airfare from MDW was an average of $298.13, while ORD travelers paid an average of $367.34.
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Fares decrease most at New York’s Westchester County Airport
The average airfare at New York’s Westchester County Airport (HPN) plummeted 29.0% from $498.12 in Q2 2019 to $353.72 in Q2 2024. The airports with the second- and third-largest decreases were Sarasota/Bradenton International (SRQ, 23.7%) and Chicago Midway (23.0%).
With these particular airports, the key driver of declines is likely the prevalence of budget airline flights. For example, Breeze Airways began operating out of Westchester in 2022, and it now has the longest list of destinations at the airport. Its flights have been as low as $39, which can drive down the average price.
Likewise, Sarasota/Bradenton International offers flights from Breeze, Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air, all of which offer lower airfare. And at Chicago Midway, carriers include Allegiant, Avelo Airlines, Frontier and Volaris.
“Saving $100 or more per ticket is a big deal for most anyone, especially if you’re traveling with your entire family,” Schulz says. He points out that it’s a far bigger deal for the family of four earning $50,000 a year than for the empty nesters bringing in $150,000 each year, however. “For the former, it can turn an unaffordable trip into a doable one.”
In fact, he says, “That 20% or 30% reduction can be the difference between going into debt for a spring break trip and being able to fit it into your budget.”
Airports with biggest airfare increase/decreases between Q2 2019 and Q2 2024, full rankings
Image Credit: LENDINGTREE.
In shorter spring period, 9 airports saw fares rise
While there was a notable decrease in airfare from prepandemic to 2024, LendingTree also looked at the year-over-year change from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024. In that period, nine airports saw fares rise, with the top five being in California and Hawaii.
California’s John Wayne Airport-Orange County experienced the largest percentage jump (5.8% from $415.53 to $439.71). The next three biggest price climbs were at Hawaii airports: Lihue Airport (LIH, 2.7%), Kahului Airport (OGG, 1.7%) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International at Keahole (KOA, 1.7%). California’s Bob Hope Airport (BUR) rounded out the top five with a 1.0% increase in average airfare.
Still, 91 of the 100 largest airports saw average airfares decline, though at a slower rate. The most dramatic price drop was at Florida’s Orlando Sanford International (SFB), decreasing by 18.5% from $148.60 to $121.07. At this airport, you’ll find budget flights from Allegiant and Sun Country Airlines.
St. Pete Clearwater International (PIE) in Florida and Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) also had significant decreases in airfare from spring 2023 to spring 2024 at 16.4% and 15.7%, respectively.
Airports with biggest airfare increases/decreases between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024,full ranking.
Image Credit: LENDINGTREE.
2 airports have average airfare costs over $500
Even with a reduction in their average airfare, the average spring flight still costs over $500 at two airports. At Wisconsin’s Dane County Regional-Truax Field (MSN), the average airfare in spring 2024 was $506.76, while travelers at Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC) spent an average of $503.85.
At Dane County Regional, higher prices may be attributed to its main carriers being able to raise prices because travelers have fewer options out of that smaller airport. With Alaska, it’s probably a matter of geography, and that having less competition allows carriers to set their prices higher.
Conversely, two Florida airports have average airfare under $200. At Orlando Sanford International, the average fare during spring 2024 was $121.07, followed by St. Pete Clearwater International at $130.60.
Airports with highest/lowest average fares, full rankings.
Image Credit: LENDINGTREE.
Traveling this spring? Expert tips on finding the lowest fares
While spring break airfare has been on a downward trend since 2019, data for 2025 isn’t yet available. Nevertheless, there are some strategies you can use to find the lowest fares if you’re getting ready to book your spring getaway.
- See if you can cash in on travel rewards. If you used travel credit cards to fuel your holiday shopping, you may have some valuable travel points to redeem. “Rewards are huge when it comes to travel,” Schulz says. “The right card, used wisely, can extend your travel budget.”
- Be flexible when planning your trip (if you can). So many variables go into planning a trip. If you have wiggle room to shop around, you can save, Schulz says. For example, which airport you choose, the day and time of your flight, and the airline or hotel you choose can widely impact costs. Something to keep in mind: Google Flights data shows it’s 13% cheaper to fly on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday than on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
- See if you have any program perks to use. If you have an airline or travel rewards credit card or belong to an airline loyalty club, it could help cover incidental costs like checked bags or provide discounts on in-flight purchases. “Before you fly, check out what your card offers because what you don’t know can lead you to spending money you didn’t necessarily need to,” Schulz says.
- Track flights for a couple of weeks. If time is on your side, use tools like Google Flights or Kayak to keep watch of how airfare fluctuates. “Airfares can vary widely by the day — and even by the hour,” says Schulz, “so it can make sense to keep an eye on prices for flights you’re interested in.” Then, you’ll be able to recognize — and get alerted — when a deal pops up. Bonus tip: Sunday may be the cheapest day to book flights, based on Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) data.
Image Credit: anyaberkut/Istockphoto.
Methodology
To rank the most affordable airports for spring travel, LendingTree researchers analyzed U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) data from the largest 100 U.S. airports by traffic.
Specifically, we compared inflation-adjusted average ticket prices for domestic flights from the second quarter of 2019 (April, May and June) to the second quarter of 2024. (Averages are primarily based on round-trip flights but include one-way flights when a return wasn’t purchased.) We ranked the states using these figures. We also compared year-over-year changes from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024, as well as average airfares in Q2 2024.
- Related: Cost of Domestic Airfare Surges 9.8% in Past Year, Led By Miami International and Portland International Jetport
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This article originally appeared on Thectoclub.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
Image Credit: Evgenia Parajanian/Istockphoto.
