MSP fares creep higher as Delta's competition retreats
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A typical MSP scene: A whole lotta Delta. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
Sun Country's cutting back. Aer Lingus is leaving. The hits just keep coming for budget-conscious MSP Airport travelers, who were already facing rising prices, according to an Axios review of airfare data.
Why it matters: Less competition among airlines often means higher ticket prices, and last week's announcements will mean fewer constraints on Delta at an airport it already dominates.
By the numbers: In the first quarter, MSP's average domestic fare ($519) was the most expensive among the nation's 25 busiest airports — and among the top 50, only Washington-Dulles' fares were costlier, the most recent federal data show.
The big picture: Airfares skyrocketed across the nation after the U.S. bombing campaign against Iran began in late February and spiked jet fuel prices.
Yes, but: Thrifty Traveler editor Kyle Potter tells Axios this increase didn't start affecting fares until the last few weeks of the first quarter.
- Plus: MSP fares rose faster, exceeding the national average by 20% in the first quarter. Adjusting for inflation, the last time MSP exceeded the U.S. average by a margin that large was 2012.
State of play: "Delta is king here & Delta calls the shots," Potter wrote on X.
- Aer Lingus, which leaves MSP in late October, offers cheaper flights to Europe — but the Irish carrier couldn't gain a foothold at MSP after Delta inaugurated its own Dublin service, as Thrifty Traveler recalled.
- Sun Country's (possibly temporary) drawdown of roughly one-third of its September schedule also means fewer low-cost flights.
What they're saying: "Economic pressures on the aviation and travel industry have led airlines to cut capacity or cease operations, and many airports across the country have felt the impact. This often results in a fluctuation in airfares," the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) told Axios in a statement.
- The MAC also runs programs to lure and support new airlines and incentivize new routes, the statement said.
What we're watching: Whether the recently announced service cuts from Delta's competitors lead to more fare increases.
- Since summer 2024, Delta and its SkyTeam partner airlines have grown their flight capacity at MSP by 1.5% — while their competitors have shrunk capacity by nearly 20%, according to Potter.
Meanwhile, Delta's MSP fares have been rising. Adjusted for inflation, 19 of 41 Delta-dominated routes saw their average fares rise at least 10% between fall 2024 and fall 2025, the latest quarter of federal data available.
- Case in point: Average Delta fares between MSP and New York's airports jumped 20% — from $307 to $371 — over that period, according to an Axios analysis.
The bottom line: MSP travelers benefit from the airport's abundance of nonstop flights, terminal upgrades and on-time performance record — all of which can be traced to Delta's near-monopoly here.
- The price of those benefits has been rising and may rise more.