According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the average domestic roundtrip base airfare in 1990 cost $288 or $554 in today's dollars.
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The cost of airfare in the US has dropped in the past 10 years, after adjusting for inflation. The average domestic flight costs $359 today, while in 2010, the average price was $336, or $392 in today's dollars.
A flight in 1963 cost $43 ($340 with inflation), and about $360 in 2015. The most expensive an average ticket has ever been was in 2000, when a ticket cost $409 ($581 with inflation).
Very expensiveIn the 21st century, air travel is relatively cheap, but in the 1950s, you could expect to pay 40% or more for the same ticket you buy today. A ticket on TWA in 1955 from Chicago to Phoenix, for example, cost $138 round-trip. Adjusted for inflation, that's $1,168.
Timing plays an important part. Specifically, plane tickets usually don't get cheaper closer to the departure date. Instead, flights tend to be the most inexpensive when you book between four months and three weeks before your departure date.
In September, the average price of a domestic ticket was $119 for a 1,000-mile trip and $409 for a 4,000-mile trip -- about 18 percent cheaper than in September 2000 -- according to the ATA.
Domestic airline prices are on the decline in 2023, finally retreating after spiking just a year ago. International fares are still high. After soaring in 2022, prices for domestic airline tickets are on the descent.