April 20--In a bit of good news for Americans who have become accustomed to paying more for nearly everything, air fares for domestic travel this summer stayed flat compared to last year, while prices of European flights dropped.
For the upcoming travel season between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the average domestic airline ticket already purchased cost $454, down from $456 for the same period in 2014, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp., an Arlington, Va.-based company that handles air fare transactions between airlines and travel agencies, among other businesses.
The average summer air fare to Europe from the U.S. sold for $1,619, compared to $1,669 in 2014, the study found.
The biggest drop in domestic fares was for flights to Kona, Hawaii, a decline of about 13%, while flights to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, dropped 24%, according to the company.
Travel experts say lower fuel prices and the increasing strength of the dollar compared to the euro are among the reasons airlines have cut prices.
After the economic meltdown, air fares rose for several years but leveled off recently, with only slight increases as demand for air travel remains strong and fuel prices have dropped, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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