Transportation Department says Salt Lake airfares are soaring

SALT LAKE CITY — The research arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation has found that for passengers flying out of the Salt Lake City International Airport, airfares increased by 12.1 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the first quarter of last year.

The average fare from January to March in Salt Lake was $338.83, up from $302.39 in the first quarter of 2009, according to Bureau of Transportation Statistics data released Wednesday.

Salt Lake fares were higher than the national average of $328. National fares increased during the first quarter, too, rising 4.7 percent from the previous year.

The fares are not adjusted for inflation. Nationally, from March 2009 to March 2010, prices increased by 2.3 percent. That means that airfares increased at a greater rate than inflation.

The average fare calculation considers domestic flights, both round-trip and one-way, as well as taxes and fees such as airport usage fees, but not baggage fees. The bureau does not factor in tickets bought with frequent-flier benefits or free tickets given by airlines. Some excessively high fares are also excluded from the averages.

— Laura Hancock