The cost of leaving on a jet plane
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It costs a little more than the national average to fly out of Austin, per the latest Transportation Department data.
Why it matters: Nothing beats the February blues like planning your summer travel and Texas airports are competing for your business.
By the numbers: Average domestic airfare out of AUS ran $385 in the third quarter of 2024.
The intrigue: It cost the same to fly domestically out of San Antonio.
- DFW and George Bush Intercontinental clocked in at $392, Dallas Love Field at $324 and Houston Hobby at $341.
Between the lines: Lots of factors affect airports' average fares.
- If an airport has more work travelers buying business- or first-class tickets, for example, that could drive up the average fare.
- Conversely, a heavy presence of budget airlines could reduce the average fare (that's probably what's happening in places like Vegas and in Florida).
Caveat: This is a snapshot in time, and airfare to and from some destinations can rise and fall over the year.
💭 Asher's thought bubble: A decade ago, before we had kids, my wife and I booked a Turkish Airlines flight from Houston to Rome — with a layover in Istanbul (which is ... checking a globe ... very much not on the way).
- Yes, we had to drive three hours each way from Austin to Houston and pay for parking, and, yes, the travel day was roughly 24 hours.
- But at something like $595 per person round trip and with fresh-squeezed OJ available even in Economy — I drank my weight in juice — it was totally worth it.