Feb. 09--The average round-trip U.S. airfare was $372 in the third quarter, the cheapest price for a ticket since 2010, the federal government said Tuesday.
The price was down 6.2 percent from the same period in 2014, according to the Transportation Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Airlines have been passing along some of their fuel cost savings to consumers, and competition among airlines has also heated up as ultra low-cost carriers like Frontier and Spirit, which offer cheap seats with no bells and whistles, give American, Delta and United a run for their money.
Third-quarter fares were down 3.5 percent from the second quarter of 2015. The numbers are adjusted for inflation.
The average fare at O'Hare Airport was $342, among the lowest for major airports, bureau statistics show.
Late Monday, Chicago-based United said it expects first-quarter 2016 passenger revenues to fall 6 percent to 8 percent compared with the first quarter of 2015. United blamed factors such as a strong U.S. dollar and lower surcharges, among other factors.
byerak@tribpub.com
