Salt Lake City International is the nation's fourth-costliest major airport to fly out of domestically, per the latest Transportation Department data.

By the numbers: Average domestic airfare out of SLC ran $410.70 in the third quarter of 2024.

• The average for all U.S. airports was $366.
• Washington Dulles was the most expensive, at $473.

The other side: Vacation hotspots like Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida, had some of the cheapest domestic departures among the country's 50 busiest airports.

• You could fly out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a relatively measly $252 in Q3 '24, on average.

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 Florida.)

What they're saying: Competition among airlines is another major factor, says Zach Griff, senior reporter at The Points Guy. So costs tend to go up at hubs dominated by one carrier, like United at Dulles — or Delta at SLC.

• "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," Griff said, "and United has monopoly pricing power, and so it raises airfares — it's a strict game of supply and demand."

Caveat: This is a snapshot in time, and airfare can rise and fall over the year.

Yes, but: SLC saw its ranking fall just once during the past year, dropping to No. 6 during Q1 of 2024.

• For annual average ticket prices, SLC has ranked in the top 10 since 2019.
• By 2023, it was the third-most expensive airport of the busiest 50.

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A new Netflix docuseries centered around the disappearance and killing of 22-year-old Gabby Petito is sparking controversy for its use of artificial intelligence.

• The three-part series uses "voice recreation technology" to reenact Petito's diary entries and texts.

Why it matters: Cloning the voice of a deceased person in film and music has raised ethical questions.

• One TikTok user said they felt "uneasy" after hearing her synthetic voice in the documentary.

Catch up quick: Authorities say Petito's fiancé, Brian Laundrie, killed her after the two embarked on a cross-country road trip that she documented on social media.

• Prior to her disappearance, a witness reported the couple fighting in Moab.
• Moab police officers questioned the couple but let them go after telling them to spend the night away from each other.
• Her family sued the department, alleging the officers failed to recognize signs that she was in "serious danger."

Between the lines: Filmmakers Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro received permission from Petito's family to use her voice, Us Weekly reports.

• "At the end of the day, we wanted to tell the story as much through Gabby as possible. It's her story," Gasparro told the magazine.

Zoom out

🏀 Craig Smith, University of Utah men's basketball coach, is stepping down after the team lost to the University of Central over the weekend. A national search for his permanent replacement is in progress. (Salt Lake Tribune)

"After evaluating our program under Craig's leadership, I believe a change is needed to get us to where we want to go."

🚓 North Ogden police chief Brian Eynon was placed on leave earlier this month amid an investigation led by a third party. (ABC 4)

• City officials said the query "does not imply any wrongdoing and is not a criminal investigation."

💰 An anonymous group is offering a $21,000 award for any information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot a married couple in their Sandy home in 2019. (KSL.com)

Bankrupt arts and crafts retailer Joann will close all of its stores, after its restructuring plans faltered and a liquidator agreed to buy its assets.

Why it matters: Joann had about 800 stores and 19,000 employees when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, including 15,600 part-time workers.

• There are four Joanns located in the Salt Lake Valley, per the retailer's store locator.

Between the lines: The company had plans to shutter about 500 of its stores earlier this month, but those collapsed in recent days after liquidator GA Group won a bid to acquire substantially all of its assets.

• A final sale hearing to approve the liquidation sale is set for tomorrow in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

When the pandemic struck, Joann's business boomed as DIY projects took off.

• The company's sales rose 23.5% in the 2021 fiscal year.

Yes, but: Joann soon faced mounting debt and increased competition that led the company into its first Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2024.

Liquidation sales

Yesterday's New York Times crossword hit close to home, with a clue seeking a 6-letter word for a "Salt Lake City resident."

By the numbers: "UTAHN" has five letters.

The latest: In what may be the least controversial policy that any of us at Axios SLC can recall from our combined three decades of Utah news coverage, lawmakers are poised to make "Utahn" the state's official demonym.

• The measure passed the Senate unanimously on Wednesday and now awaits consideration by a House committee.

The bottom line: We can't even pronounce "Utahan."

The intrigue: The answer to the puzzle's "circled letter" meta-question was "SETS STRAIGHT."

• You're welcome, New York Times!

Tell a crossword player