Good News For Flyers: U.S. Air Fares See Largest Drop on Record

About a month ago, the Department of Transportation reported the largest quarter-to-quarter drop in U.S. domestic air fares ever recorded. From the last quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009, average prices for domestic tickets dropped a whopping 9.1 percent, with the average ticket price falling to $315. While this may not seem like much of a break, compare that with the record high prices for fares reported last year at $360, and travelers are seeing a substantial break this year in most ticket prices in the U.S. Of course, these statistics don’t include any other fees paid at the airport or on the aircraft, so don’t figure in all of those annoying baggage charges here. Also interesting to note in the DOT’s first quarter report: Huntsville, AL saw the highest average air fares, while the lowest are to be found in Long Beach, CA, Oakland, CA, Burbank, CA, Dallas Love Field, and Las Vegas. So, looking for one last mini-vacation to round out the summer? Fly on the cheap to places like Dallas or Vegas -- www.mondoexplorer.com will tell you everything you need to know about exploring these dynamic cities like a local.