A recent study by the NetCredit blog has revealed significant shifts in the cost of domestic flights across the United States, with Westchester County Airport in New York showcasing the most notable decrease in prices. According to the report titled “The U.S. States and Airports with the Cheapest and Most Expensive Domestic Flights,” the airport experienced a decrease of $58.18 in average flight costs between 2022 and 2023.
West Virginia retained its position as the state with the priciest flights, where an average ticket is valued at $578.37. On the flip side, Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida emerged as the country’s most affordable airport, with flights averaging at $143.56. New Jersey was highlighted for its affordability, requiring only 8.63 hours of work at the average local wage to cover the average flight cost from local airports, marking it the state with the cheapest flights when adjusted for local wage rates. New York State, where Westchester County Airport is located, ranked third in affordability behind Hawaii, based on this metric.
The report’s unique approach included analyzing domestic flight affordability in terms of hours worked at the average state wage, shedding new light on travel costs relative to local incomes. This methodology underscored New Jersey’s low fares, a fact that gained widespread attention last year following a viral TikTok post by a commuting intern.
Overall, the study found that air travel prices have decreased in 44 states since the previous report in 2023. This general trend towards lower prices has been attributed not just to the proliferation of budget airlines but also to a market correction following the spike in travel costs witnessed in 2021 and 2022. Specifically, Westchester County Airport saw a significant fare reduction alongside a 67.5% increase in traffic, contrasting sharply with Jackson Hole in Wyoming, which faced the highest fare increase of $58.74 and a 19.7% decrease in traffic.
The NetCredit report based its findings on data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, focusing on average domestic fares and the affordability of flights in terms of local wages. This analysis was limited to hub airports as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration, taking into account changes in average, inflation-adjusted domestic fares from Q2 2022 to Q2 2023 to identify where costs have risen or fallen the most dramatically.