DOT: Average U.S. Airfare At Lowest Price Since 2010

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It’s not often that we get to use the word “cheap” along with “airfare,” but that’s the case today, after the U.S. Department of Transportation released its quarterly numbers, showing that the average price for an airline ticket in the third quarter of 2015 was the lowest it’s been in six years.

According to the latest report from the Transportation Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average round-trip U.S. airfare was $372, which is a 3.5% drop from the second quarter of 2015, after adjusting numbers for inflation.

It’s a decrease of 6.2% from the same quarter in 2014, the cheapest it’s been since 2010, the government notes.

Part of the reason for the lower airfares could be attributed to cheaper fuel prices recently, if some airlines have decided to pass on the savings to consumers. The popularity of low-cost carriers like Spirit and Southwest could also contribute to lower prices overall, as the bigger U.S. airlines keep trying to compete.

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist