Airfares Decrease in More Than Half of the Top U.S. Departures According to Cheapflights.com Q1 2009 Travel Price Index

Hawaii, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale See Largest Savings for Travelers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nationwide airfare prices for a family of four have dropped nine percent since February of this year, according to airfare deals aggregator Cheapflights.com’s latest Travel Price Index. The index, which Cheapflights.com first introduced in mid-2008, compares the average cost of living in regions to the price of airfares. The latest version compares new findings to those found in 2008.

“When 28 markets see airfares decrease it means big savings when you are booking a trip for a family of four. There are great deals available for trips at a variety of budgets, the key is to know where to look.”

The first quarter 2009 report shows that airfare prices have decreased in 28 of the top 30 U.S. departure points.

“The Travel Price Index tracks fare fluctuations in comparison to the cities’ average cost-of-living giving people a clear picture of what is affordable in relation to their own pocketbooks,” said Carl Schwartz, Chief Travel Officer for Cheapflights.com. “When 28 markets see airfares decrease it means big savings when you are booking a trip for a family of four. There are great deals available for trips at a variety of budgets, the key is to know where to look.”

The full report is available at http://www.cheapflights.com/travel-tips/travelnomics/. Additional highlights include:

• Hawaii’s Honolulu International (HNL) escapes the “most expensive” slot for the first time since the index was created. In fact, the cost for a family of four to fly from Hawaii dropped 17 percent since September 2008. That equals savings of $125 per person or $500 total.
• Houston displaced Hawaii as the most expensive departure point in the first quarter 2009.
• The cost of flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) fell 16 percent, a total savings of $250 between February and March of 2009.
• Philadelphia International (PHL) and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL) also experienced huge cost decreases of 39 percent and 29 percent, respectively.
• On the flip side, flights originating from Atlanta International (ATL) had the largest price increase in flights – a jump of 11 percent since mid-2008.

Cheapflights culled airfare figures from its database containing more than 1.5 million flight deals across hundreds of departure points. The cost-of-living data is supplied by the Economic Research Institute.

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Cheapflights.com is the best place to find cheap flight deals and up-to-date travel information. As a leading U.S. travel search engine, the site publishes one of the largest selections of airfare deals available online from a huge range of flight providers. Every day, travelers can search more than one million flight deals from both traditional and low-cost airlines, as well as smaller specialty-travel providers, plus handpicked deals and flight offers exclusive to Cheapflights.com. The site’s Flight & Travel Info section and Flight News blog are packed with destination travel guides, travel tips, news and information to help flyers enjoy the best possible travel experience, every time they fly.