Domestic Airfare Prices Soar in 3 Months Since Collapse of Regional Airline

Cheaper and mid-range domestic airfares have soared in the past three months after the collapse of regional airlines Rex in July, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE). BITRE compiles a monthly survey of airfare prices from internet booking sites. According to its “best discount airfare” price index—a measure of the average cheapest air tickets—there was an increase from 57.5 points in July, to 70 in September 2024—21.7 percentage points. Restricted economy fares soared from 81.3 to 93.6 in September—a 15.1 percentage change, according to BITRE. On the other hand, there was little movement in the more expensive business class flights with a slight increase from 62.2 to 63.5....