Detroit Metro Airport is among the most expensive to fly from
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Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus is the fifth most costly major U.S. airport to fly out of domestically, per the latest transportation department data.
Why it matters: Nothing beats the February blues like planning your summer travel — and being smart about which airports you use might help you save a buck.
By the numbers: Average domestic airfare out of Detroit ran $404 in the third quarter of 2024.
- That's 10% over the average for all U.S. airports, $366.
Yes, but: Consider all your options — there might be a better deal not too far away, according to the same federal statistics.
- Flint Bishop International Airport, an hour from downtown Detroit, offers nonstop flights to Florida, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland and elsewhere, with an average domestic fare of $238.
- The Lansing airport, about an hour and a half from downtown, has a higher average, $439, but may still be worth checking.
- The Grand Rapids airport, just over two hours from downtown, has an average similar to Detroit's, at $401.
State of play: 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.
What they're saying: Competition among airlines is another major factor, says Zach Griff, senior reporter at The Points Guy — especially at hubs dominated by one carrier, like United at Washington Dulles International Airport, which had an average fare of $473.
- "If you're based at Dulles, you're at a disadvantage because very few other airlines are flying many of the routes that United flies. And United has monopoly pricing power, and so it raises airfares — it's a strict game of supply and demand."
Zoom in: Detroit Metro Airport is a top Delta hub, seen as the airline's "primary gateway to its Asian market," per Delta's website.
Caveat: This is a snapshot in time, and airfare can rise and fall over the year.