High flight prices from Detroit are here to stay

State of play: The average domestic fare out of Detroit Metro Airport was $527 in the second quarter, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That's 18% over the national average and higher than both Chicago airports.

• Spirit's closure hit prices, too. Flights from Detroit to LaGuardia that had been popular on the budget airline rose 53% in price after Spirit shut down, per Engine.

Zoom out: Nationwide, airfares rose 22% year over year in September, marking a 10th straight monthly increase in the government's airfare price index, which hit an all-time high.

• Delta Air Lines — the largest airline at Detroit Metro — expects its fuel bill this year to come in $6 billion above last year's.

Between the lines: To protect their bottom lines, airlines are raising fares and turning to more premium seats to squeeze more revenue out of their flights.

• Airline executives see these changes, many of which were already underway before fuel prices spiked, as a new normal.

The bottom line: Fuel prices may eventually come back down. Don't count on airfares following.

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