Airfare priced at $100 in 1973 $811.79 in 2024

Airfare Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Airfare, 1973-2024 ($100)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for airline fares are 711.79% higher in 2024 versus 1973 (a $711.79 difference in value).

Between 1973 and 2024: Airfare experienced an average inflation rate of 4.19% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, airfare costing $100 in the year 1973 would cost $811.79 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.91% during this same period, inflation for airfare was higher.

In the year 1973: Pricing changed by 3.41%, which is below the average yearly change for airfare during the 1973-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1973 (6.18%), inflation for airfare was lower.

Price Inflation for Airline fares since 1963

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (38.39%), 2022 (30.15%), and 1981 (25.87%).

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Buying power of $100.00 since 1973

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Airfare, over time, for $100 beginning in 1973. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1973$100.003.41%
1974$108.228.22%
1975$117.948.98%
1976$127.788.34%
1977$135.065.70%
1978$141.374.67%
1979$152.597.94%
1980$211.1838.39%
1981$265.8025.87%
1982$292.9510.22%
1983$309.895.78%
1984$328.566.03%
1985$349.306.31%
1986$363.584.09%
1987$381.324.88%
1988$385.721.15%
1989$408.725.96%
1990$460.6412.70%
1991$481.804.59%
1992$481.990.04%
1993$554.9115.13%
1994$575.903.78%
1995$588.972.27%
1996$597.541.46%
1997$618.563.52%
1998$637.353.04%
1999$679.226.57%
2000$743.379.44%
2001$743.32-0.01%
2002$718.99-3.27%
2003$718.13-0.12%
2004$705.45-1.77%
2005$734.654.14%
2006$767.764.51%
2007$781.451.78%
2008$875.5612.04%
2009$800.96-8.52%
2010$863.737.84%
2011$943.959.29%
2012$946.820.30%
2013$970.912.54%
2014$955.39-1.60%
2015$907.32-5.03%
2016$877.30-3.31%
2017$856.26-2.40%
2018$822.50-3.94%
2019$824.030.19%
2020$675.45-18.03%
2021$675.460.00%
2022$879.1230.15%
2023$829.68-5.62%
2024$811.79-2.16%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Airline fares:

Year19631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI23.70023.66723.83323.82023.90024.44026.20028.26230.33131.14632.20834.85437.98541.15443.50045.53149.14668.01585.60894.35499.808105.823112.500117.100122.815124.231131.638148.362155.177155.238178.723185.485189.692192.454199.223205.277218.762239.423239.408231.569231.292227.208236.615247.277251.686281.998257.971278.186304.026304.950312.709307.708292.227282.557275.783264.909265.401217.546217.549283.143267.221261.459

Adjust airfare prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1973 * 1973 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Airline fares was 32.208 in the year 1973 and 261.459 in 2024:

261.459 / 32.208 * $100 = $811.79

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $100 in 1973 has the same "purchasing power" as $811.79 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Airline fares).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Airline fares in 1963. In addition to airfare, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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