- In inflation-adjusted dollars, the average U.S. domestic airfare has fallen 37.3% since 1995—from $627.81 to $393.33 in 2025.
- The unadjusted (nominal) sticker price tells a different story: it actually rose 32.5% over the same period, from $292.19 to $387.01—which is why flying doesn't feel cheaper even though it is.
- The steepest single-year drop was 2020, down 18.0% in real terms as COVID-19 collapsed air travel demand.
- The most recent data available, Q1 2026, shows fares at $427.81—already above the entire 2025 annual average, the sharpest early-year jump in the series.
01 Introduction
In inflation-adjusted dollars, average U.S. domestic airfare has fallen 37.3% since 1995—from $627.81 to $393.33 in 2025—even though the nominal sticker price actually rose 32.5% over the same period. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics has tracked the average domestic airline fare every year since 1995, in both the dollars actually printed on the ticket and dollars adjusted for inflation. Looking at both series side by side tells a story that runs against the common assumption that flying keeps getting more expensive.
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Annual U.S. Domestic Average Itinerary Fare, Current and Constant Dollars02 The 30-Year Trend: Flying Got Cheaper, Not More Expensive
In 2025 dollars, the average domestic fare has fallen from $627.81 in 1995 to $393.33 in 2025—a decline of 37.3%. But the unadjusted number most travelers actually see and remember rose over the same period, from $292.19 to $387.01, up 32.5%. Both numbers are true at once: tickets cost more dollars today, but each of those dollars buys much more than it did in 1995, so flying has become meaningfully cheaper in real terms.
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Annual U.S. Domestic Average Itinerary Fare series, 1995-2025. Inflation adjustment to 2026 constant dollars using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, as published by BTS.Estimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator03 The Sharpest Moves: Recessions, 9/11, and COVID
The 30-year trend isn't a smooth line. Airfares move sharply around recessions, security shocks, and the COVID-19 pandemic—usually falling faster than they later recover.
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Annual U.S. Domestic Average Itinerary Fare series, year-over-year percent change as published by BTS| Year | Inflation-Adjusted YoY | Nominal YoY | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | -8.0% | -5.4% | September 11 attacks |
| 2009 | -10.1% | -10.4% | Global financial crisis |
| 2020 | -18.0% | -17.0% | COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022 | +14.1% | +23.2% | Post-pandemic travel rebound |
2020's 18.0% real-dollar drop is the single largest year-over-year decline in the entire 31-year series—a sharper collapse than either 9/11 or the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The rebound that followed was just as unusual: 2022's nominal fare jumped 23.2% in a single year, the fastest one-year increase on record, as airlines faced a rush of pent-up travel demand against reduced capacity.
04 The Most Recent Data: A 2026 Uptick
The most recent data available goes through the first quarter of 2026, and it shows a fare of $427.81—already higher than the entire 2025 annual average of $387.01, and the highest quarterly figure since before the pandemic.
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Quarterly National Level Domestic Average Fare series, Q1 202605 Methodology and Caveats
All figures in this article come directly from BTS's published average fare series, without independent recalculation of the underlying survey data.
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics- Fares are domestic itinerary fares: round-trip fares, or the one-way fare if no return trip was purchased, based on total ticket value including taxes and fees charged at purchase.
- Fares exclude optional service fees such as checked baggage, seat selection, or change fees, and exclude frequent-flyer or "zero fares."
- Inflation adjustment uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, expressed in 2026 constant dollars, as published by BTS.
- Percent changes are BTS's own published figures, calculated from unrounded underlying values, which can differ slightly from a recalculation using the rounded dollar figures shown in the table.
06 Data Sources
Every figure in this article comes from a U.S. government source. No proprietary, estimated, or third-party data was used.
- U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Annual U.S. Domestic Average Itinerary Fare, 1995-2026 (Current and Constant Dollars). transtats.bts.gov
- U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Quarterly National Level Domestic Average Fare Series, 1st Quarter 2026. transtats.bts.gov