Airline Ticket Prices On The Rise

The cost to fly out of Colorado Springs Airport increased more over the first quarter of 2014 than anywhere else in the nation, compared to last year. That’s according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The average Colorado Springs itinerary fare increased from $392 during the first quarter of 2013 to $443 during the first quarter of 14. That’s slightly more than a 13 percent increase.

Heather Lenard is the Colorado Springs Airport marketing manager. She says the fare increase is linked to a major airline leaving the airport.

“In the first quarter of 2013, we had Frontier Airlines here,” Lenard said. “Frontier was an inaugural airline here in Colorado Springs, offering below-market pricing. That average is higher when you eliminate the Frontier Airlines data.”

Some flyers say they factor convenience as much as a ticket price when booking a flight.

“I would go for the closer airport even if it was a little more expensive,” said Gloria Feinauer. “By the time you add up the cost of the gas, it’s probably very close to what we paid for our flight here.”

Lenard says smaller airports aren’t always more expensive than major airports.

“We get comments from passengers all the time saying I can’t believe I saved money by flying out of Colorado Springs,” Lenard said.

Dawn Gallegos travels to Colorado Springs every year. She says she normally find cheaper flights out of Denver, but that wasn’t the case this time.

“Flying into Colorado Springs, we saved $150 per ticket,” Gallegos said. “I will be looking into flying to Colorado Springs more often.”