Winter officially kicks off this weekend and as Americans start eyeing their post-holiday escapes, there’s one surprisingly powerful way to save on airfare before you even search for dates or airlines: pick the right airport.
According to a new report from Savings.com, airfare prices vary wildly depending on where you fly out of, even among the country’s busiest hubs. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive major airports can be nearly $200 per ticket so, in some metro areas, switching airports can shave hundreds off the cost of a trip.
Topping the list of the most affordable major U.S. airports is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where the average ticket price sits at just $280.67. That’s more than $100 below the national average of $387. Fort Lauderdale’s low fares aren’t a fluke: the hub is a major leisure gateway packed with competition from low-cost and budget-friendly carriers like Spirit, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier, all of which keep prices aggressively low on popular domestic routes.
Close behind is Orlando International Airport, which has average fares of $289.25. As one of the country’s busiest airports, Orlando benefits from sheer volume. With nonstop flights to nearly every major U.S. city and year-round heavy demand, airlines have little room to raise prices, which is good news for travelers heading out of Florida after the holidays.
Rounding out the top three is Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, where the average ticket price is $290.64. Vegas is one of the most competitive leisure markets in the country and that constant churn of short, frequent domestic flights helps keep fares in check.
To put those numbers in perspective, the most expensive major airport in the U.S. is Washington Dulles International, where travelers pay an average of $475.05 per ticket, nearly $200 more than at Fort Lauderdale. Salt Lake City and Charlotte Douglas aren’t far behind, both hovering well above $440.
The bigger takeaway: airport choice matters more than ever. Savings.com found that Phoenix travelers can save about $240 by flying out of Mesa Gateway instead of Sky Harbor. In comparison, D.C.-area flyers can keep nearly $100 in their pocket by choosing Reagan National over Dulles.
And despite how it feels at checkout, flying is actually cheaper than it used to be. Adjusted for inflation, airfare today is about 36 percent lower than it was in 1995. The catch is that those savings depend heavily on geography and flexibility.
As winter travel ramps up, the smartest move isn’t just booking early or flying midweek. It’s checking nearby airports before you commit.