Airfare priced at $100 in 2002 $119 in 2023

Airfare Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Airfare, 2002-2023 ($100)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for airline fares are 19% higher in 2023 versus 2002 (a $19 difference in value).

Between 2002 and 2023: Airfare experienced an average inflation rate of 0.83% per year. In other words, airfare costing $100 in the year 2002 would cost $119 in 2023 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.52% during this same period, inflation for airfare was lower.

In the year 2002: Pricing changed by -3.27%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for airfare during the 2002-2023 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 2002 (1.59%), inflation for airfare was much 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 2002

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Airfare, over time, for $100 beginning in 2002. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
2002$100.00-3.27%
2003$99.88-0.12%
2004$98.12-1.77%
2005$102.184.14%
2006$106.784.51%
2007$108.691.78%
2008$121.7812.04%
2009$111.40-8.52%
2010$120.137.84%
2011$131.299.29%
2012$131.690.30%
2013$135.042.54%
2014$132.88-1.60%
2015$126.19-5.03%
2016$122.02-3.31%
2017$119.09-2.40%
2018$114.40-3.94%
2019$114.610.19%
2020$93.94-18.03%
2021$93.950.00%
2022$122.2730.15%
2023$119.00-2.68%*

* 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:

Year1963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
CPI23.70023.66723.83323.82023.90024.44026.20028.26230.33131.14632.20834.85437.98541.15443.50045.53149.14668.01585.60894.35499.808105.823112.500117.100122.815124.231131.638148.362155.177155.238178.723185.485189.692192.454199.223205.277218.762239.423239.408231.569231.292227.208236.615247.277251.686281.998257.971278.186304.026304.950312.709307.708292.227282.557275.783264.909265.401217.546217.549283.143275.557

Adjust airfare prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2023 / CPI in 2002 * 2002 USD value = 2023 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Airline fares was 231.569 in the year 2002 and 275.557 in 2023:

275.557 / 231.569 * $100 = $119

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $100 in 2002 has the same "purchasing power" as $119 in 2023 (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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