(NEXSTAR) – When it comes to air travel within the U.S., your ticket might get cheaper just based on where you depart from.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation show the average cost of a domestic flight departing from 45 of the nation’s busiest airports – valuable information in 2022 as airplane ticket costs continue to march higher.
In April, airfares soared a record 18.6%, the largest monthly increase since record-keeping began in 1963. And hotel prices jumped 1.7% from March to April.
Southwest Airlines said last month that it foresees much higher revenue and profits this year as Americans flood airports after having postponed travel for two years. Southwest said its average fare soared 32% in the first three months of the year from the same period last year.
When it comes to the cheapest average fare, it pays to fly out of Florida. Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took the top spot with an average cost of $233.36. Orlando International Airport came in second, at $241.01. Miami International ($236.76) and Tampa International (270.88) rounded out the top five after Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas ($247.53).
Fares are based on the total ticket value, including the price set by the airlines as well as any taxes and fees charged by an outside entity at purchase. The cost doesn’t include the price of optional services, such as baggage fees or frequent flyer and excludes any frequent-flyer or “zero” fares.
Based on the latest available data from the last quarter of 2021, these are the 10 cheapest airports:
Rank | Airport | State | Avg. airfare |
1 | Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport | FL | $233.36 |
2 | Orlando International Airport | FL | $241.01 |
3 | Harry Reid International Airport | NV | $247.53 |
4 | Miami International Airport | FL | $236.76 |
5 | Tampa International Airport | FL | $270.88 |
6 | Chicago Midway Airport | IL | $271.84 |
7 | Dallas Love Field | TX | $278.31 |
8 | Oakland International Airport | CA | $279.15 |
9 | New Orleans International Airport | LA | $281.04 |
10 | LaGuardia Airport | NY | $289.65 |
The top three most expensive airports to fly from are Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. ($408.08), followed by San Francisco International Airport ($400.66) and Detroit Metro Airport ($364).
Rank | Airport | State | Avg. airfare |
1 | Dulles International Airport | DC | $408.08 |
2 | San Francisco International Airport | CA | $400.66 |
3 | Detroit Metro Airport | MI | $366.33 |
4 | Portland International Airport | OR | $364.40 |
5 | John F. Kennedy International Airport | NY | $360.94 |
6 | Charlotte/Douglas International Airport | NC | $356.60 |
7 | Salt Lake City International Airport | UT | $356.30 |
8 | San Diego International Airport | CA | $352.58 |
9 | Los Angeles International Airport | CA | $350.25 |
10 | Boston Logan International Airport | MA | $347.43 |
While it certainly isn’t always practical to change one’s departure airport, for those who are lucky enough to have multiple airports to choose from a little planning might save a substantial amount of cash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.