Summer U.S. airfare has finally dropped, by a whole $2

U.S. airfares are a tiny bit lower this summer

(Image credit: iStock)

published 20 April 2015

Well, it's something: After years of only going in one direction — up — average U.S. airfares will be a bit lower this summer. How much lower? About 1 percent, or $2.01 a ticket, to $454 per average round trip, according to a report released Monday from the Airlines Reporting Corp., which processes ticket purchases for airlines and travel sites. Travelers to Europe will fare better, seeing an average discount of $50 — as long as you're not traveling to London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Budapest, Lisbon, and a handful of other cities where airfare is up for summer travel.

Why the (very) modest price drop? "Airlines are now saving billions of dollars thanks to lower fuel prices and because more seats have been crammed into planes," explains The Associated Press' Scott Mayerowitz. The new report is based on 4.1 million tickets sold up until March 31 for travel between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the first three months of 2015, ticket prices were also down, 3.7 percent for U.S. travel, 8.9 percent for international trips.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.