When did flying become cheap?

Average ticket prices have been steadily decreasing since 1980. In fact, tickets are close to their lowest prices ever. But from 1950 to 1980, flying was different. Before 1978, fares and routes in the US were closely regulated by the federal government, and many routes had fixed minimum prices.



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Average U.S. airfares are more than 6.5% lower in September 2023 than they were in September 2019, meaning prices aren't just lower than they were last year, but even lower than what they were pre-pandemic.

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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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Fares were also much higher. According to Simons, a transatlantic flight ticket in the early 1960s would cost around $600, which is about $5,800 in today's money. Nevertheless, nostalgia for the period abounds, and Pan Am in particular is still remembered fondly as the pinnacle of the air travel experience.

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2023: Fall from the Peak As we left the highs of 2022 behind, a trend began emerging in flight prices. Airline tickets, especially for domestic routes, started witnessing a downward trajectory. This culminated in June 2023, with a marked drop in domestic ticket prices, offering some relief to travelers.

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Expedia's report also notes travelers can look forward to a 3 percent decrease in booking airfare in 2024, compared to the higher prices of 2022.

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An average ticket that used to cost $38 in 1963 ($299 with inflation) today cost $399 in 2015.

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Such speed didn't come cheap, though: A transatlantic flight required the high-maintenance aircraft to gulp jet fuel at the rate of one ton per seat, and the average round-trip price was $12,000.

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Airline tickets are at some of the highest prices the industry has seen in a while, but $66,000 for a single plane ticket? That's the price of the world's most expensive commercial airplane ticket, a one-way flight on Etihad Airways from New York City/JFK to Abu Dhabi.

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Until the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, airlines were considered a public utility and airfares were set by the federal government, which ensured airlines always made more than enough money. Even after deregulation, a basic domestic round-trip airfare in 1979 averaged $615.82 in today's money.

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In the 1950s and 1960s US airlines experienced at least a half dozen crashes per year – most leading to fatalities of all on board.

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Were plane crashes common in the 70s? From 1970 to 2021, the 1970s was the deadliest decade with 3,133 plane crashes and 24,512 deaths.

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In the 1980s you could smoke cigarettes on flights, meals were included, and you could check as many bags as you wanted. Flying saw some fun arrangements in the '80s.

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