Travelers flying from Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport are spending more on airline tickets than those at any other U.S. airport, according to a recent analysis by FinanceBuzz.
The average cost of a flight from Dulles last year jumped to $494.78, as airfare costs nationwide increased 14.1% between 2021 and 2022. Flights from San Francisco International ($456.86) and Charlotte Douglas International ($444.42) were the next most costly tickets, while Portland International ($425.35) and Detroit Metro ($425.35) rounded out the top five on the list of most expensive U.S. airports to fly from.
“Last year, the only two airports where airfare costs exceeded $400 on average were Dulles International Airport (IAD) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO),” FinanceBuzz wrote in a report accompanying their findings. “While 11 more airports crossed the $400 mark this year, IAD and SFO are still the two most expensive airports in the country.”
In comparison, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas emerged as the least expensive airport to fly from, with an average ticket price of $264.24. Other less-expensive airports on the list: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood ($271.78), Orlando ($273.35), Oakland ($288.23) and Chicago Midway ($303.05). In the previous year’s analysis, Fort Lauderdale had held the crown of “least expensive airport.”
Other findings from the report showed that both San Diego International and Daniel K. Inouye International in Honolulu had seen the smallest cost increases over that year-long period. Newark Liberty International and Dallas Fort Worth International saw the largest spikes in ticket costs.
Fares across all airports increased by $50.67, on average, during 2021-22 from the past year.
The full report looked at the nation’s 45 busiest airports, as measured by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Average fares were based on domestic itinerary fares, which are typically round-trip tickets, and included the full ticket cost, including taxes and fees.