 |
1st-Quarter
2009 Air Fare Data: Average 1st-Quarter Domestic Air Fares Drop from 4th Quarter; Top 100 Airports: Highest Fare in Huntsville, Lowest Fare at Long Beach
PDF
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| Contact |
BTS 36-09
Dave Smallen
202-366-5568 |
|
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - Average domestic air fares dropped 9.1
percent in the first quarter
of 2009 from the fourth quarter of 2008, the biggest quarter-to-quarter drop on
record, (Tables 1, 2), the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today.
BTS, a part of the Research and
Innovative Technology Administration, reports average fares based on domestic
itinerary fares, round-trip or one-way for which no return is purchased. Fares
are based on the total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the
airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the
time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket
purchase and do not include other fees paid at the airport or onboard the
aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or a few
abnormally high reported fares.
The $315 average first-quarter
fares were down 5.9 percent from the first quarter of 2008 and down 12.5
percent from the record high average fares of $360 in the third quarter of 2008
(Table 2). First quarter 2008 fares were
also 9.4 percent below the pre-9/11 first quarter high of $348 in 2001 (Table 6).
See BTS Air Fare web page for historic data. Quarter-to-quarter changes may be affected by seasonal
factors.
The $315 first-quarter 2009 average
fare represented a lower rate of increase than inflation both from the first
quarter of 1995, the first year of BTS records and from the previous high for first-quarter
fares set in 2001. In the 15 years from
1995, air fares rose 6.1 percent compared to a 40.5 percent inflation rate. From 2001, when the previous first-quarter
high was set, fares declined 9.4 percent compared to a 20.7 percent inflation
rate (Table 6).
Since 2005,
average fares have risen less than the inflation rate. First-quarter 2009 average fares rose 4.5 percent from the
post-9/11 first-quarter low of $301 in 2005, less
than the inflation rate of 10.0 percent (Table 6).
Average fares in this release may not be comparable to BTS
fare press releases before the second quarter of 2007 which did not exclude
frequent flyer fares or abnormally high fares. Bulk fares continue to be excluded as in earlier releases.
Spirit Airlines data for the six quarters from
the fourth quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2009 are not included in
this release because the airline is updating its reports. Atlantic
City, NJ, is not
included because Spirit operates more than 90 percent of the flights
there. The Atlantic City average
fares in the July 23,
2008 press release were based on incorrect data. The
data available on the BTS website for the second and third quarters of 2008
have been revised. Revised Spirit Airlines data for the fourth quarter 2007 and
the first quarter 2008 have yet to be received. See http://www.bts.gov/xml/atpi/src/index.xml
Beginning with the first quarter 2008 release,
BTS does not include Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto
Rico airports in rankings. Average fares for those
airports are available on the BTS Air Fare web page: http://www.bts.gov/xml/atpi/src/index.xml
Of the top 100 airports based on 2008 originating
passengers, the highest first-quarter average fares were in Huntsville, AL followed
by Cincinnati, OH; Grand
Rapids, MI; Savannah, GA; and Des
Moines, IA. The lowest fares in the top 100 airports were
at Long Beach, CA followed
by Oakland, CA; Burbank, CA; Dallas
Love and Las Vegas (Table 3). See the BTS Air Fare web page for average fares for the top 100 airports.
The largest year-to-year average fare increase
for the first quarter among the 100 largest airports ranked by originating
passengers was 10.0 percent in Dallas Love followed by Houston Hobby; Lubbock, TX; Oklahoma
City, OK and Memphis, TN (Table 4).
The biggest year-to-year average decrease was 16.8
percent in Cincinnati, OH, followed
by Madison, WI; Richmond, VA; Long
Beach, CA and San
Francisco (Table 4).
The largest average fare increase from the first
quarter of 1995 to the first quarter of 2009 was at Dallas Love followed by Lubbock TX;
Houston Hobby: El
Paso, TX and Reno, NV (Table 5).
The
largest average fare decrease from the fourth quarter of 1995 to the fourth quarter
of 2009 was at White
Plains, NY. The
other top average fare decreases over this period took place at Manchester, NH; Pittsburgh; Richmond, VA and Raleigh-Durham, NC (Table 5).
The Air Travel Price Index (ATPI)
A
separate measure of fares, the BTS Air Travel Price Index (ATPI) dropped 8.5
percent in the first quarter of 2009 from its fourth quarter 2008 level (Table 2). See http://www.bts.gov/xml/atpi/src/datadisp.xml?t=1 for historic data.
The
ATPI was down 4.4 percent from the first quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009 (Table 8).
The
ATPI is down 0.8 percent from its
pre-9/11 first-quarter high set in 2001 and up 11.6 percent from its post-9/11 first-quarter
low set in 2005 (Table 7).
ATPI is a statistical index that
documents quarterly changes in airline prices since the first quarter of 1995.
The index measures changes in airline ticket prices used on identical routings
and identical classes of service on a quarter-by-quarter basis. The index
can be used to compare air fares in the most recent available quarter to any
quarter since the first quarter of 1995, which is the base quarter (1Q
1995=100).
While the
ATPI measures changes in fares, average fares measure the actual amount paid by
passengers, including taxes and fees. Average fares take account of both the level of fares and the number of
passengers purchasing fares at different levels. Average fares do not necessarily account for
the level of service, as ATPI does.
Average fare calculations and the
ATPI, while similar, measure air fares in two different ways and may produce
different results. ATPI measures the rise
in air fares and average fares show the increased use of lower fares. The
varying results reflect trends in the airline industry that have resulted in
more passengers using lower air fares even though fare levels continue to
rise. Three of these trends follow.
First, low-cost carriers, which
generally offer lower fares, now carry about 40 percent of all domestic
enplaned passengers, up from about 14 percent in 1995. Second, network carriers have been forced to
match some of the low-cost carrier relaxed fare rules, such as eliminating the
“Saturday Night Stay Rule”, which has allowed more passengers to purchase lower
fares. Third, use of the internet allows
almost instant price comparisons that give the customer the opportunity for
unprecedented low-fare shopping.
Excluding Alaska,
Hawaii, and Puerto
Rico, the largest year-to-year fare index increase for the first quarter
among the 85 largest airline markets, ranked by passengers, was 3.7 percent in Islip,
NY followed by Reno,
NV; Ontario/San Bernardino, CA; San
Diego, CA and Portland,
OR (Table 9).
The largest year-to-year ATPI decrease
was 14.5 percent in Richmond, VA
followed by Dayton, OH;
Rochester, NY;
Boston and Philadelphia
(Table 9).
The largest fare index increase
from the first quarter of 1995 to the first quarter of 2009 was in Burbank,
CA. The
other top ATPI increases over this period took place at Long
Beach, CA; Ft Myers, FL; Las
Vegas and New Orleans
(Table 10).
The largest ATPI decreases for the
15-year 1995-to-2009 period was in Richmond, VA
followed by Denver; Manchester,
NH; and Raleigh Durham, NC. There was a small increase in Detroit
(Table 10).
Alaska,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico
airports have been excluded from Tables 9 and 10 of this release. Those airports are included in the total ATPI
and data about them can be found on the ATPI rankings on the BTS Air Fare web page.
Additional information about average
fares, including fares for the top 100 airports based on
U.S.
originating domestic passengers, can be found on the BTS website at http://www.bts.gov/xml/atpi/src/index.xml. Additional information can also be found on
that page about the ATPI, including indexes for foreign-origin itineraries and the
top 85 air travel markets based on originating passengers. Second-quarter average fare data and the ATPI
will be released on Oct. 28.
Table 1: 1st Quarter Average Fares 1995-2009 Compared to
Inflation Rate
Fares based on
domestic itinerary fares, round-trip or one-way for which no return is
purchased. Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the
price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an
outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at
the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees paid at the
airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or
“zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares.
Averages do not
include frequent flyer fares.
Excel | CSV
| 1995 |
297 |
|
|
|
|
| 1996 |
284 |
-4.4 |
2.8 |
-4.4 |
2.8 |
| 1997 |
283 |
-0.2 |
2.8 |
-4.6 |
5.7 |
| 1998 |
305 |
7.5 |
1.4 |
2.6 |
7.1 |
| 1999 |
332 |
8.9 |
1.7 |
11.7 |
9.0 |
| 2000 |
340 |
2.6 |
3.8 |
14.6 |
13.1 |
| 2001 |
348 |
2.2 |
2.9 |
17.1 |
16.4 |
| 2002 |
320 |
-8.0 |
1.5 |
7.8 |
18.1 |
| 2003 |
319 |
-0.3 |
3.0 |
7.5 |
21.7 |
| 2004 |
320 |
0.3 |
1.7 |
7.8 |
23.8 |
| 2005 |
301 |
-5.9 |
3.1 |
1.5 |
27.7 |
| 2006 |
323 |
7.3 |
3.4 |
8.9 |
32.0 |
| 2007 |
318 |
-1.7 |
2.8 |
7.0 |
35.6 |
| 2008 |
**335 |
5.3 |
4.0 |
12.8 |
41.0 |
| 2009 |
315 |
-5.9 |
-0.4 |
6.1 |
40.5 |
Source: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
* Rate calculated using
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.
** Revised
Note: Percent change based on
unrounded numbers
Table 2: Quarterly Change in Average
Domestic Airline Fares and Air Travel Price Index
Percent
Change by Quarter
Fares
based on domestic itinerary fares, round-trip or one-way for which no return is
purchased. Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the
price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an
outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at
the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees paid at the
airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or
“zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares.
Excel | CSV
| 2nd
Quarter 2007 |
325 |
2.4 |
117.8 |
2.9 |
| 3rd
Quarter 2007 |
328 |
0.7 |
118.8 |
0.8 |
| 4th
Quarter 2007 |
331 |
1.1 |
118.7 |
-0.1 |
| 1st
Quarter 2008 |
335 |
1.1 |
121.4 |
2.3 |
| 2nd
Quarter 2008 |
348 |
3.9 |
126.3 |
4.1 |
| 3rd
Quarter 2008 |
360 |
3.4 |
130.6 |
3.4 |
| 4th
Quarter 2008 |
347 |
-3.7 |
126.8 |
-2.9 |
| 1st
Quarter 2009 |
315 |
-9.1 |
116.0 |
-8.5 |
Source: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
* Average fares from 4Q 2007
to 4Q 2008 revised from May 6, 2009 release.
Note: Percent change based on
unrounded numbers
Note: Quarter-to-quarter
changes may be affected by seasonal factors.
Table 3: Highest and Lowest U.S. Domestic Average Itinerary Fares 1st Quarter 2009
Top 100 Airports*
Based on 2008
U.S.
Originating Domestic Passengers
Fares
based on domestic itinerary fares, round-trip or one-way for which no return is
purchased. Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the
price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an
outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at
the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees paid at the
airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or
“zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares.
Excel | CSV
| |
Highest Average Fares |
|
| 1 |
Huntsville, AL |
505 |
| 2 |
Cincinnati, OH |
446 |
| 3 |
Grand Rapids, MI |
418 |
| 4 |
Savannah, GA |
405 |
| 5 |
Des Moines, IA |
403 |
| |
Average
Fare at All Airports |
315 |
| |
Lowest Average Fares |
|
| 1 |
Long Beach, CA |
207 |
| 2 |
Oakland, CA |
227 |
| 3 |
Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena,
CA |
231 |
| 4 |
Dallas Love, TX |
231 |
| 5 |
Las Vegas, NV |
235 |
Source: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
* Not including Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico
Note: Percent change based on
unrounded numbers
Table 4: Top 5 U.S. Domestic Average Itinerary Fare Increases
and Decreases, 2008 – 2009
Top 100 Airports* Based on 2008 U.S. Originating Domestic Passengers
Fares based on domestic itinerary fares,
round-trip or one-way for which no return is purchased. Fares are based on the
total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any
additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares
include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not
include other fees paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not
include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares.
Excel | CSV
| |
Largest Increases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Dallas Love, TX |
210 |
231 |
10.0 |
| 2 |
Houston Hobby, TX |
247 |
264 |
6.9 |
| 3 |
Lubbock, TX |
268 |
280 |
4.7 |
| 4 |
Oklahoma City, OK |
328 |
341 |
4.2 |
| 5 |
Memphis, TN |
381 |
397 |
4.1 |
| |
Average Fare at All Airports |
335 |
315 |
-5.9 |
| |
Largest Decreases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Cincinnati, OH |
536 |
446 |
-16.8 |
| 2 |
Madison, WI |
451 |
375 |
-16.7 |
| 3 |
Richmond, VA |
362 |
302 |
-16.6 |
| 4 |
Long Beach, CA |
247 |
207 |
-16.0 |
| 5 |
San Francisco, CA |
396 |
332 |
-16.0 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Not including Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico
** Revised from May 6, 2009 release.
Note: Percent change based on unrounded numbers
Table 5: Top 5 U.S. Domestic Average Itinerary Fare Increases
and Decreases, 1995-2009
Top 100 Airports* Based on 2008 U.S. Originating Domestic Passengers
Fares based on domestic itinerary fares,
round-trip or one-way for which no return is purchased. Fares are based on the
total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any
additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase.
Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not
include other fees paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not
include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares.
Excel | CSV
| |
Largest Increases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Dallas Love, TX |
73 |
231 |
215.8 |
| 2 |
Lubbock, TX |
126 |
280 |
122.7 |
| 3 |
Houston Hobby, TX |
124 |
264 |
112.5 |
| 4 |
El Paso, TX |
154 |
300 |
94.9 |
| 5 |
Reno, NV |
152 |
281 |
85.2 |
| |
Average Fare at All Airports |
297 |
315 |
6.1 |
| |
Largest Decreases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
White Plains, NY |
463 |
274 |
-40.9 |
| 2 |
Manchester, NH |
433 |
279 |
-35.5 |
| 3 |
Pittsburgh, PA |
398 |
271 |
-32.0 |
| 4 |
Richmond, VA |
419 |
302 |
-27.9 |
| 5 |
Raleigh/Durham, NC |
374 |
271 |
-27.6 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Not including Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico
Note: Percent change based on unrounded numbers
Table 6: Percent Changes to 2009 in Domestic Average
Itinerary Fares and the Inflation Rate* by Year Since 1995
(1st Quarter to 1st Quarter for fares; March to March for
inflation)
Fares
based on domestic itinerary fares, round-trip or one-way for which no return is
purchased. Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the
price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an
outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at
the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees paid at the
airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or
“zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares.
Excel | CSV
| 2009 |
|
315 |
|
|
| 2008 |
1 |
335 |
-5.9 |
-0.4 |
| 2007 |
2 |
318 |
-0.9 |
3.6 |
| 2006 |
3 |
323 |
-2.6 |
6.5 |
| 2005 |
4 |
301 |
4.5 |
10.0 |
| 2004 |
5 |
320 |
-1.7 |
13.5 |
| 2003 |
6 |
319 |
-1.3 |
15.5 |
| 2002 |
7 |
320 |
-1.6 |
19.0 |
| 2001 |
8 |
348 |
-9.4 |
20.7 |
| 2000 |
9 |
340 |
-7.4 |
24.2 |
| 1999 |
10 |
332 |
-5.1 |
28.9 |
| 1998 |
11 |
305 |
3.3 |
31.1 |
| 1997 |
12 |
283 |
11.1 |
32.9 |
| 1996 |
13 |
284 |
10.9 |
36.6 |
| 1995 |
14 |
297 |
6.1 |
40.5 |
Source: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
* Rate calculated using
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index
Note: Percent change based on
unrounded numbers
Table 7: Percent Changes to 2009 in the Air Travel Price
Index, from Each Year Since 1995
(U.S.-Origin
Itineraries, 1st Quarter to 1st Quarter)
Excel | CSV
| -4.4 |
2008 |
1 |
| 1.3 |
2007 |
2 |
| 1.2 |
2006 |
3 |
| 11.6 |
2005 |
4 |
| 6.8 |
2004 |
5 |
| 7.4 |
2003 |
6 |
| 7.2 |
2002 |
7 |
| -0.8 |
2001 |
8 |
| 9.3 |
2000 |
9 |
| 13.5 |
1999 |
10 |
| 11.0 |
1998 |
11 |
| 13.7 |
1997 |
12 |
| 17.5 |
1996 |
13 |
| 16.0 |
1995 |
14 |
Source:
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 8: Year-to-Year Changes in the Air Travel Price
Index (ATPI) since 1995 U.S.-Origin Itineraries
1st Quarter to 1st
Quarter (1st Quarter 1995 = 100)
Excel | CSV
| 1995 |
100.00 |
|
| 1996 |
98.73 |
-1.3 |
| 1997 |
101.99 |
3.3 |
| 1998 |
104.55 |
2.5 |
| 1999 |
102.20 |
-2.3 |
| 2000 |
106.13 |
3.8 |
| 2001 |
116.94 |
10.2 |
| 2002 |
108.18 |
-7.5 |
| 2003 |
107.98 |
-0.2 |
| 2004 |
108.59 |
0.6 |
| 2005 |
103.90 |
-4.3 |
| 2006 |
114.57 |
10.3 |
| 2007 |
114.55 |
0.0 |
| 2008 |
121.40 |
6.0 |
| 2009 |
116.00 |
-4.4 |
Source:
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 9: Top 5 1st Quarter Air Travel Price Index
Increases and Decreases, 2008-2009
Top 85 Air Travel
Markets*
Air Travel Price
Index Percent Change, 1st Quarter 2008 to 1st Quarter 2009 (1st Quarter 1995 =
100)
Excel | CSV
| |
Largest Increases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Long Island, NY |
114.4 |
118.6 |
3.7 |
| 2 |
Reno, NV |
129.6 |
132.8 |
2.4 |
| 3 |
Ontario/San
Bernardino, CA |
122.4 |
125.4 |
2.4 |
| 4 |
San Diego, CA |
122.5 |
124.2 |
1.4 |
| 5 |
Portland, OR |
110.8 |
112.3 |
1.4 |
| |
ATPI
for All U.S. Origins |
121.4 |
116.0 |
-4.4 |
| |
Largest Decreases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Richmond, VA |
105.8 |
90.4 |
-14.5 |
| 2 |
Dayton, OH |
121.6 |
107.9 |
-11.3 |
| 3 |
Rochester, NY |
112.8 |
101.0 |
-10.5 |
| 4 |
Boston, MA |
119.1 |
108.5 |
-8.9 |
| 5 |
Philadelphia, PA |
114.8 |
104.8 |
-8.7 |
Source: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
* See Top 85 Market Rankings
Table 15 for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico airports
** HI, AK, PR airports are
excluded.
***See Top 85 Market Rankings
Table 16 for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico airports
Table 10: Top 5 Air Travel Price Index Increases and
Decreases (Smallest Increases), 1995-2009
Top 85 Air Travel
Markets*
Air Travel Price
Index Percent Change, 1st Quarter 1995 to 1st Quarter 2009 (1st Quarter 1995 =
100)
Excel | CSV
| |
Largest Increases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena,
CA |
100.0 |
167.6 |
67.6 |
| 2 |
Long Beach, CA |
100.0 |
151.9 |
51.9 |
| 3 |
Ft. Myers, FL |
100.0 |
143.4 |
43.4 |
| 4 |
Las Vegas, NV |
100.0 |
139.3 |
39.3 |
| 5 |
New Orleans, LA |
100.0 |
135.6 |
35.6 |
| |
ATPI
for All U.S. Origins |
100.0 |
116.0 |
16.0 |
| |
Largest Decreases/Smallest Increases |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Richmond, VA |
100.0 |
90.4 |
-9.6 |
| 2 |
Denver, CO |
100.0 |
96.3 |
-3.7 |
| 3 |
Manchester, NH |
100.0 |
97.2 |
-2.8 |
| 4 |
Raleigh/Durham,
NC |
100.0 |
99.1 |
-0.9 |
| 5 |
Detroit, MI |
100.0 |
100.9 |
0.9 |
Source:
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* See Top 85 Market Rankings
Table 15 for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico airports
** HI, AK, PR airports are
excluded.
*** See Top 85 Market Rankings
Table 15 for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico airports
For air fares for the following airports, go to http://www.bts.gov/xml/atpi/src/index.xml.
Multiple airport areas for which a
single average fare calculation is available are: Boston,
Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston,
Los Angeles, New York,
San Francisco and Washington,
DC.
Airports covered by average fare calculations are:
Alabama: Birmingham, Huntsville
Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson
Arkansas: Little Rock
California: Burbank, Fresno,
Long Beach, Los
Angeles Intl, Oakland, Ontario/San Bernardino, Sacramento,
San Diego, San
Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana (Orange
County)
Colorado: Colorado Springs,
Denver
Connecticut: Hartford
District of Columbia: Dulles, Reagan National
Florida: Ft. Lauderdale,
Ft. Myers,
Jacksonville, Miami,
Orlando, Pensacola, Sarasota, Tampa,
West Palm Beach
Georgia: Atlanta, Savannah
Idaho: Boise
Illinois: Chicago
Midway, Chicago O'Hare
Indiana: Indianapolis
Iowa: Des Moines
Kansas: Wichita
Kentucky: Louisville
Louisiana: New Orleans
Maine: Portland
Maryland: Baltimore
Massachusetts: Boston
Michigan: Detroit, Grand
Rapids, Flint
Minnesota: Minneapolis/St. Paul
Mississippi: Jackson/Vicksburg
Missouri: Kansas City, St.
Louis
Nebraska: Omaha
Nevada: Las Vegas, Reno
New Hampshire: Manchester
New Jersey: Newark
New Mexico: Albuquerque
New York: Albany, Buffalo,
Islip, New York
JFK, New York LaGuardia, Rochester, Syracuse,
White Plains
North Carolina: Charlotte, Greensboro,
Raleigh/Durham
Ohio: Akron/Canton, Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Columbus,
Dayton
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City,
Tulsa
Oregon: Portland
Pennsylvania: Harrisburg, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh
Rhode Island: Providence
South Carolina: Charleston
Tennessee: Knoxville, Memphis,
Nashville
Texas: Austin, Dallas
Love, Dallas/Ft. Worth, El Paso, Houston
Bush, Houston Hobby,
Lubbock, San
Antonio
Utah: Salt Lake City
Vermont: Burlington
Virginia: Newport News/Williamsburg, Norfolk,
Richmond
Washington: Seattle, Spokane
Wisconsin: Madison, Milwaukee
For the ATPI for
the following markets, go to http://www.bts.gov/xml/atpi/src/index.xml:
Alabama: Birmingham
Alaska: Anchorage
Arizona: Phoenix,
Tucson
Arkansas: Little
Rock
California: Burbank,
Greater Los Angeles, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Ontario,
Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco,
San Jose, Santa Ana (Orange County)
Colorado: Colorado
Springs, Denver
Connecticut: Hartford
District
of Columbia: Washington,
DC (Dulles and Reagan National combined)
Florida: Ft.
Lauderdale, Ft.
Myers, Jacksonville,
Miami, Orlando, Tampa,
West Palm Beach
Georgia: Atlanta,
Savannah
Hawaii: Honolulu,
Kahului (Maui), Kona, Lihue (Kauai)
Idaho: Boise
Illinois: Chicago
(Midway and O’Hare combined)
Indiana: Indianapolis
Iowa: Des
Moines
Kentucky: Louisville
Louisiana: New
Orleans
Maryland: Baltimore
Massachusetts: Boston
Michigan: Detroit,
Grand Rapids
Minnesota: Minneapolis/St.
Paul
Missouri: Kansas
City, St. Louis
Nebraska: Omaha
Nevada: Las
Vegas, Reno
New Hampshire: Manchester
New
Jersey: New York/Newark
New
Mexico: Albuquerque
New
York: Albany,
Buffalo, Long
Island, New York/Newark, Rochester,
Syracuse
North
Carolina: Charlotte,
Greensboro/High Point, Raleigh/Durham
Ohio: Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Columbus,
Dayton
Oklahoma: Oklahoma
City, Tulsa
Oregon: Portland
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh
Rhode
Island: Providence
South
Carolina: Charleston
Tennessee: Memphis,
Nashville
Texas: Austin,
Dallas/Ft. Worth, El Paso, Houston,
San Antonio
Utah: Salt
Lake City
Virginia: Norfolk,
Richmond
Washington: Seattle,
Spokane
Wisconsin: Milwaukee
Puerto
Rico: San
Juan
Brief Explanation of
the ATPI
The ATPI
series are computed using a price index methodology. Although the ATPI is
computed using a tested index methodology, it is considered a research series
at this time.
The ATPI is based on fares paid by
travelers and draws its data from the BTS Passenger Origin and Destination
Survey. Through this survey, BTS
collects information from the airlines on a 10-percent sample of airline
tickets. Each ticket sold is assigned an
identification number, and if this number ends in 0, the ticket is in the
sample.
The index measures the aggregate
change in the cost of itineraries originating in the
United
States
, whether the destinations are
domestic or international, but only for
U.S.
carriers (excluding charter air travel). The ATPI is based on the changes in
the price of individual itineraries, that is, round trips or one-way trips for
which no return trip is purchased, and the relative value of each itinerary,
for the set of matched itineraries.
The index uses the first quarter of
1995 as the reference point (expressed as the number 100) against which all
subsequent quarterly prices are measured. ATPI values below 100 represent overall “cost of flying” levels less
than those in the second quarter of 1995, while values above 100 represent cost
of flying levels that exceed those of the second quarter of 1995. ATPI levels can be used to compute percentage
changes in overall fare costs between any two quarters in an ATPI series.
Unlike many other price index
estimates, the ATPI is not based on a fixed “market basket” of air travel
services. Rather, all of the data from
the Passenger Origin and Destination (O&D) Survey are fed into the
estimation system each quarter, and this collection of itineraries varies from
one quarter to the next. New entry,
including routes and carriers, will not be included in the ATPI calculations
until it has been present in the O&D Survey for two consecutive quarters.
For price
comparison purposes, itineraries flown in each quarter are “matched up” with
identical or very similar itineraries flown in other quarters. A price index formula is then used to compute
aggregate index estimates such as those that appear in this release.
The fares
reported in the O&D Survey include taxes, so the ATPI values reflect
changes in tax rates as well as changes in fares received by the airlines. The
ATPI values in this release are not adjusted for seasonality, so some movements
in the series are due to seasonal variations in air fares.
The ATPI differs from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics’ (BLS) air fare index, a component of the Consumer Price
Index. The BLS index is based on
fares advertised through SABRE, a leading computerized airline ticket
reservation system, while the ATPI uses actual fares paid by travelers. Since a growing number of tickets are purchased
through the internet at discounted prices not listed with SABRE, the ATPI does
not show the same levels of increases as the BLS index.
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