At Cheapflights, we know the importance of keeping travel costs low and are always on the lookout for ways that travelers can save. After all, you don’t have to spend a lot to plan a great trip. For the last six years we have done our research so you don’t have to – ranking 101 of the most-searched U.S. airports by affordability to inspire your next vacation location.
For our annual index, we look at average airfares travelers found on our site during the month of June to a mix of popular domestic and international destinations and use the data to rank the 101 airports on the list.
There were quite a few surprises on the Sixth Annual Airport Affordability Index. The two most affordable airports in 2015, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International and Atlanta International, were #77 and #73 on last year’s list respectively!
If you’re looking to get out of the city this year, you’re in luck! Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia all broke into the top 10 in 2015 (none of which even cracked the top 30 last year!), making it a great time to get away from the city. Cheaper fares from major airports means more affordable travel for many coming from these popular departure points.
But with so many positions changing dramatically from our 2014 index, it’s clearer than ever that smart budget travel requires a bit of homework. With flight prices constantly changing, savvy travelers do their research, keep an eye on prices and book when they find a great deal. Let this list inspire and guide you as you plan your next trip, finding cheaper ways to travel and alternative airports to cut costs.
See how your local airport stacks up and start planning your next escape.
Rank | Airport | Ave Airfare | 2014 Rank |
1 | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, OH (CVG) | $199 | 77 |
2 | Atlanta International, GA (ATL) | $231 | 73 |
3 | Dallas Love Field, TX (DAL) | $251 | 4 |
4 | La Guardia, NY (LGA) | $251 | 31 |
5 | Chicago-O’Hare International, IL (ORD) | $265 | 65 |
6 | Philadelphia International, PA (PHL) | $267 | 48 |
7 | Long Beach (Daugherty Field), CA (LGB) | $267 | 2 |
8 | Cleveland-Hopkins International, OH (CLE) | $278 | 66 |
9 | Orlando International, FL (MCO) | $281 | 29 |
10 | Metropolitan Oakland International, CA (OAK) | $282 | 12 |
11 | San Jose International, CA (SJC) | $288 | 8 |
12 | McCarran International, NV (LAS) | $289 | 36 |
13 | Denver International, CO (DEN) | $292 | 20 |
14 | Reagan National (DCA) | $292 | 22 |
15 | Bob Hope Airport, CA (BUR) | $293 | 7 |
16 | Austin-Bergstrom International, TX (AUS) | $293 | 54 |
17 | Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International, FL (FLL) | $301 | 37 |
18 | Kansas City International, MO (MCI) | $301 | 33 |
19 | Los Angeles International, CA (LAX) | $307 | 56 |
20 | Lambert-St Louis International, MO (STL) | $307 | 55 |
21 | Miami International, FL (MIA) | $307 | 80 |
22 | Minneapolis-St Paul International, MN (MSP) | $317 | 35 |
23 | Bradley International, CT (BDL) | $322 | 10 |
24 | Newark Liberty International, NJ (EWR) | $325 | 100 |
25 | Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, MI (DTW) | $326 | 25 |
26 | Baltimore/Washington International, MD (BWI) | $330 | 51 |
27 | Theodore Francis Green State, RI (PVD) | $331 | 17 |
28 | Tampa International, FL (TPA) | $331 | 45 |
29 | Dallas/Fort Worth International, TX (DFW) | $332 | 44 |
30 | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, LA (MSY) | $335 | 70 |
31 | Raleigh-Durham International, NC (RDU) | $336 | 60 |
32 | William P. Hobby, TX (HOU) | $337 | 42 |
33 | Kahului, HI (OGG) | $337 | N/A |
34 | John Wayne/Orange County, CA (SNA) | $338 | 67 |
35 | Buffalo Niagara International, NY (BUF) | $343 | 39 |
36 | Chicago Midway, IL (MDW) | $346 | 6 |
37 | Charleston International, SC (CHS) | $347 | 1 |
38 | Burlington International, VT (BTV) | $347 | 32 |
39 | Indianapolis International, IN (IND) | $351 | 38 |
40 | Akron-Canton Regional, OH (CAK) | $354 | 15 |
41 | George Bush Intercontinental, TX (IAH) | $356 | 63 |
42 | Sacramento International Airport, CA (SMF) | $357 | 75 |
43 | San Diego Intl-Lindbergh Field, CA (SAN) | $360 | 78 |
44 | Salt Lake City International, UT (SLC) | $361 | 72 |
45 | Phoenix Sky Harbor International, AZ (PHX) | $363 | 64 |
46 | Memphis International, TN (MEM) | $363 | 27 |
47 | Manchester, NH (MHT) | $364 | 16 |
48 | Richmond International, VA (RIC) | $369 | 24 |
49 | Greater Rochester International, NY (ROC) | $373 | 28 |
50 | Portland International, OR (PDX) | $374 | 79 |
51 | Charles B. Wheeler Downtown, MO (MKC) | $374 | 14 |
52 | San Francisco International, CA (SFO) | $378 | 81 |
53 | Logan International, MA (BOS) | $379 | 76 |
54 | Seattle – Tacoma International, WA (SEA) | $382 | 61 |
55 | Ontario International, CA (ONT) | $393 | 49 |
56 | Eppley Airfield, NE (OMA) | $393 | 18 |
57 | Bellingham International, WA (BLI) | $395 | 21 |
58 | The Eastern Iowa Airport, IA (CID) | $397 | N/A |
59 | Charlotte/Douglas International, NC (CLT) | $402 | 88 |
60 | Savannah/Hilton Head International, GA (SAV) | $402 | N/A |
61 | Palm Beach International, FL (PBI) | $403 | 23 |
62 | Syracuse Hancock International, NY (SYR) | $408 | 30 |
63 | Jacksonville International, FL (JAX) | $413 | 59 |
64 | John F. Kennedy International, NY (JFK) | $413 | 98 |
65 | Washington Dulles International (IAD) | $414 | 84 |
66 | General Mitchell International, WI (MKE) | $415 | 26 |
67 | Southwest Florida International, FL (RSW) | $416 | 96 |
68 | Port Columbus International, OH (CMH) | $419 | 94 |
69 | Piedmont Triad International, NC (GSO) | $426 | 82 |
70 | Reno-Tahoe International, NV (RNO) | $427 | 52 |
71 | San Antonio International, TX (SAT) | $434 | 83 |
72 | Gerald R. Ford International, MI (GRR) | $435 | 57 |
73 | Lehigh Valley International, PA (ABE) | $437 | N/A |
74 | Tucson International, AZ (TUS) | $437 | 34 |
75 | Albuquerque International, NM (ABQ) | $445 | 41 |
76 | Norfolk International, VA (ORF) | $446 | 85 |
77 | Tulsa International, OK (TUL) | $450 | 99 |
78 | Fresno Air Terminal, CA (FAT) | $457 | 19 |
79 | Nashville International, TN (BNA) | $458 | 71 |
80 | Pittsburgh International, PA (PIT) | $462 | 58 |
81 | Birmingham International, AL (BHM) | $465 | 87 |
82 | Des Moines International, IA (DSM) | $468 | 47 |
83 | Hector International, ND (FAR) | $469 | N/A |
84 | Spokane International, WA (GEG) | $470 | 86 |
85 | Boise Air Terminal (Gowen Field), ID (BOI) | $484 | 95 |
86 | Albany International, NY (ALB) | $484 | 69 |
87 | Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, KS (ICT) | $494 | 11 |
88 | Will Rogers, OK (OKC) | $498 | 46 |
89 | Myrtle Beach International, SC (MYR) | $507 | 9 |
90 | Standiford Field, KY (SDF) | $509 | 89 |
91 | Adams Field, AR (LIT) | $536 | 74 |
92 | Portland Intl Jetport, ME (PWM) | $537 | 13 |
93 | Pensacola Regional, FL (PNS) | $540 | 53 |
94 | McGhee Tyson, TN (TYS) | $552 | 91 |
95 | El Paso International, TX (ELP) | $554 | 97 |
96 | Anchorage International, AK (ANC) | $576 | 93 |
97 | James M. Cox Dayton International, OH (DAY) | $587 | 40 |
98 | Greenville-Spartanburg International, SC (GSP) | $592 | 62 |
99 | Northwest Arkansas Regional, AR (XNA) | $615 | 92 |
100 | Yeager, WV (CRW) | $742 | N/A |
101 | Honolulu International, HI (HNL) | $794 | 101 |
Main image: Kevin Dooley, Sky Harbor Airport via Flickr CC BY 2.0