Denver International Airport had the largest percentage fare decline of the top 85 markets in the United States for the third quarter of 2006 compared to the same quarter in 1995, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ Air Travel Price Index.
While nearly all of the top airports had fare increases over that 11 year period, two had fare declines and Denver had the largest decline at 3.3 percent. Manchester, N.H., which Southwest Airlines began flying to in 1998, was the other airport with a fare decline over the period.
In a year-over-year comparison between the third quarter of 2006 and the third quarter of 2005, Denver had a 4 percent fare decline while the Air Travel Price Index nationally reached its highest third-quarter level in 11 years, up 7.5 percent from a year ago. But the index declined 2.6 percent from the second quarter of 2006 – which may be due to seasonal fluctuations.
Airlines, eager to return to sustained profitability, have been raising fares nationally to bring in more revenue. But fares on certain routes out of Denver declined after Southwest Airlines started flying to DIA in January 2006 and Frontier and United Airlines stepped up their competition.
The average domestic fare for Denver in the third quarter of 2006 was $380.10, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics using domestic itinerary fares for round-trips or one-ways with no return, including frequent flier fares.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-954-1488 or at kyamanouchi@denverpost.com .
