Airfares are still, on average, down from prepandemic prices, but they’re fated to keep rising as travel continues its comeback in 2022.
According to the latest ValuePenguin study — which examines fluctuations in airfare since the pandemic struck — average fare costs still remain almost 20% lower than they were prior to COVID-19. In 2019’s fourth quarter (the last full pre-pandemic period), the average cost of a plane ticket was $373.34. But, by 2021’s second quarter (the latest data available), the average ticket cost had fallen to $299.93.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) records indicate that April 13, 2020—one month after the global outbreak of COVID-19—represented the record low for pandemic-era flying, with fewer than 90,000 passengers screened that day. Yet, 2021 saw people start traveling again and, by Jan. 2, 2022, over 2 million people were passing through TSA checkpoints in a single day.
