The Cheapest, Most Expensive US Airports To Fly From

The COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on flight pricing last year as the national average airfare cost fell just over $60 in 2020 versus 2019, from $352.27 to $292.20, according to FinanceBuzz, which recently looked at the average domestic airfares from the 45 busiest airports in the United States to determine the most and least wallet-friendly travel hubs. The website compared domestic airfares from the 45 busiest airports in the U.S. using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Here's a look at how the most and least affordable shake out.

Dallas Love Field kicks off the list of the top 10 cheapest airports to fly out of on FinanceBuzz's 2021 U.S. Airport Cost Rankings. DAL edges out 11th-ranked Tampa International Airport by just 42 cents with average airfare coming in below the national average at just under $260 in 2020, down more than $60 compared to the previous year.

While Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport's average airfare of $256.71 is good for the ninth-lowest in the nation, SJC only saw a drop of $39.20 from last year, forcing it down three spots from 2019.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport was one of the big movers in the top 10 this year, moving up two spots from 10th to eighth cheapest thanks to a whopping $59.55 drop in the average departure ticket price. Nonetheless, CLE's average fare of $256.63 is only 8 cents better than SJC.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport saw a modest airfare decline of $41.72 from 2019 to 2020, causing it to tumble three spots. The average ticket out of the Big Easy will cost travelers approximately $253.70, according to FinanceBuzz's research.

Denver International Airport is just slightly cheaper than New Orleans with an average airfare of $252.81 for 2020. Ranking third for passenger volume, DEN is the busiest airport among the top 10 cheapest nationwide.

Ranking just 44th for passenger volume, Oakland International Airport is the least busy of the top 10 most affordable airports. OAK saw its average airfare decline by nearly $46 in 2020 to just $250.02 for the average departure ticket.

A cheaper alternative to O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport is up five spots from 2019 to the fourth most affordable in the nation. The average airfare here dropped by more than $76 to $234.64 in 2020. The decline was the most of any airport in the top 10 and slightly better than 17th-ranked O'Hare.

Orlando International Airport's average airfare change of $35.82 was among the lowest of the airports that were considered but at $215.93, MCO still ranks among the most affordable places to fly out of in the U.S.

Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport narrowly edges out Orlando for second-most affordable as its average fare comes in just a little more than a dollar cheaper at $214.87 for 2020.

Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport tops FinanceBuzz's list for the cheapest departure fares for the third straight year, with the average ticket out of LAS costing just $209.95. The figure marks only a $33.10 drop from last year, however, so McCarran's run could soon be coming to an end.

Kansas City International Airport just barely surpasses another Midwest airport in Minneapolis-St. Paul International when it comes to the top 10 most expensive for 2020. MCI's average airfare of $308.82 is just 6 cents more expensive than MSP but still more than $56 cheaper compared to last year.

San Antonio International Airport also experienced a drop in average airfare in 2020 but picked up eight spots in the most expensive airport rankings with an average airfare of $311.73. Unfortunately, for budget-conscious travelers, SAT is trending in the wrong direction.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport saw average airfare decline $64.24 from 2019 to 2020 but experienced little movement in FinanceBuzz's rankings, climbing just one spot with an average ticket cost of $313.79.

Washington, D.C. is known to be a pricey destination so it's definitely no surprise that Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport continues to be one of the most expensive in the nation with an average airfare of $315.76. That figure is down $56.44 from 2019, however.

One of three Texas airports to rank among the top 10 most expensive for 2020, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport improved by two spots with an average airfare of $323.50, down $79.07 from the previous year.

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport saw a dramatic $82.40 drop in the average airfare in 2020 compared to 2019 but still ranks as the fifth-most expensive in the country with the average ticket costing passengers $324.50.

The average airfare out of Salt Lake City International Airport comes in at a hefty $329.56 this year, helping SLC move four spots closer to the undesirable title of the nation's most expensive.

Last year's most expensive U.S. airport to fly out of, North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas International Airport climbed two spots in 2020 thanks to a sizable $76.61 drop in the average airfare, bringing CLT's average ticket cost to $335.27.

San Francisco International Airport has the distinction of being the most expensive airport on the West Coast as of 2020. SFO's average airfare of $338.11 is down more than $59 from 2020 but still the second-highest in the country, FinanceBuzz found.

Flying out of the Big Apple? New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport overtakes CLT for the most expensive in 2020. The average ticket out of JFK will set you back $344.35, according to FinanceBuzz. That mark is nearly $135 more compared to the cheapest airport (McCarran).