Think it’s more expensive to fly from Fresno? We crunched airfares to find out

For years it’s been a frequent lament of passengers looking to book flights for business or vacations from Fresno Yosemite International Airport: Why does it always seems like it costs more to fly from Fresno?

As Fresno and the rest of the nation approach Thanksgiving and the busy holiday travel season, some of the latest data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation indicates that there’s a reality behind the perception of high prices for airline tickets.

Among the 100 busiest airports in the country, Fresno saw the third-largest dollar increase in the prices for domestic air travel itineraries – trips that originate in Fresno and include connections to or through one or more other airports in the U.S. – for the period from Jan. 1 through March 31.

The federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports the average price paid by passengers during that three-month period was just under $474.

That’s up by $140 compared to the average of $333 in the first three months of 2021, and puts Fresno behind only Pensacola, Florida, and Seattle in the ranks of largest increases.

It also translates to a 42.1% increase from one year to the next – the seventh-highest percentage increase in the U.S.

“Rising costs of jet fuel, delays, cancellations and inflation have created headaches for travelers this year,” according to a report this week by SmartAsset.com, an online referral service for financial information and advice. “As a result, consumers are seeing much higher airfare prices across the country.”

The SmartAsset report indicated that airports in the western U.S. had the largest increases in airfares. “Six of the 10 airports with the largest price increases are in the west, including two in Washington, two in California, one in Idaho and one in Arizona,” including Fresno.

Nationwide, the country’s largest airports experienced an average increase of almost 21%.

Among 12 California airports in the nation’s top 100 busiest, only Los Angeles International Airport had a larger percentage increase in average fares from early 2021 to early 2022 at 42.2%.

Modest hikes for nonstop routes

Several of Fresno’s nonstop routes fall among the country’s busiest city pairs, and those saw more modest price increases. One even went down over the course of the prior year.

The average fare each way to nonstop destinations from Fresno was $211, according to the federal data. That’s up $50, or 31.1%, compared to the first part of 2021. The data includes figures from seven domestic airports served by airlines from Fresno.

The lowest average airfare was for flights between Fresno and Las Vegas, at $108 per ticket. That’s $5 less than the previous year, or a drop of 4.4%. The Fresno-Las Vegas route is served by two airlines: Southwest Airlines and Allegiant Air.

Flights aboard Alaska Airlines between Fresno and Seattle, by contrast, saw the average fare lurch higher between early 2021 and early 2022. The average ticket price in the January-through-March quarter was $253, compared to $152 in the same period of 2021. That’s an increase of $101, or 66.2%.

Flights between Fresno and Denver, saw a more modest increase over the intervening year. The average airfare on the route, which is served with nonstop flights by United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, climbed by $73 or 44.2% from one year to the next. The average ticket went from $165 in early 2021 to $238 in 2022.

Brace for even higher prices

The federal data comes as industry observers forecast even higher airfares for the upcoming holiday season.

The travel website Hopper, in its recent 2022 Holiday Travel Outlook, reported that airfares nationwide will be about 22% higher than the 2019 holiday season, and 43% higher than last year.

“Most travelers will pay $350 for a good deal domestic Thanksgiving flight,” the Hopper report stated. “Significant factors including jet fuel prices, fewer flights scheduled and two years of pent up holiday travel demand will combine this year to drive Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares to their highest in the last five years.”

OAG Aviation Worldwide, which analyzes global airline data, reported Wednesday that airlines are cutting back on the number of available seats being offered.

“Week-on-week North American carriers have reduced seats this week, down by 300,000 (-1.4%),” the company stated. “With the US majors reporting their latest financial performance in recent weeks, we’ve heard some optimism about a return to profitability – with very closely managed capacity.”