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You sure about that? http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/airfares/programs/economics_and_finance/air_travel_price_index/html/AnnualFares.html http://www.rita.dot.gov/b

by canvia 12y ago

You sure about that? http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/airfares/programs/economics_and_finance/air_travel_price_index/html/AnnualFares.html http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/airfares/programs/economics_and_... That shows 2014 has the highest CPI adjusted price since 2003 and the highest raw USD price going back as far as the data (1995).

thedufer 12y ago
That's a deeply misleading summary of the data. The table excluding inflation is meaningless in the context of parent's comment, so I won't even touch that. Real prices have dropped 14% in the past 19 years, and have been basically flat since 2004, except for an obviously anomalous dip during the financial crisis (2009/2010). The prevailing trend lines are a steady drop of 1.7% per year from 1995-2004 and then a flat-line (.15% increase per year) 2004-2014. To go back a bit further, airfare dropped over 50% 1978-2006[1]. That is, the trend in the late '90s didn't start in '95. So no, parent's comment isn't quite literally true (prices have gone up 1.5% in the last decade), but historically prices clearly trend down, which I think is the point. [1] http://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_industry.html http://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_indust...
- jusben1369 12y ago
  Airfares are most definitely higher than they were in the mid 2000's. The global recession saw a big cut back in capacity and that capacity hasn't been added back in to the system to offset the ever stronger economy. Flights are fuller than they've been in a long time meaning higher fares etc.
  - dageshi 12y ago
    How much of that is down to taxes and fuel prices? Oil has dropped recently but for most of the past 5-6 years it's been much much higher than it was back then.
  - thedufer 12y ago
    > Airfares are most definitely higher than they were in the mid 2000's We've established that. The data shows that flights this year were about 13% higher than at the lowest point, which was 2009 (recession). They are a little under 5% higher than the lowest point during the "mid 2000's". These numbers (~.25% increase per year over 10 years) are fairly insignificant when you look at the broader trends (>1% decrease per year over 3-4 decades).
    - saryant 12y ago
      Yes, I was referring to airfares over the past few decades, not the recent past.
    - saryant 12y ago
      Yes, I was referring to airfares over the past few decades, not the recent past.

by canvia 12y ago

thedufer 12y ago

That's a deeply misleading summary of the data. The table excluding inflation is meaningless in the context of parent's comment, so I won't even touch that. Real prices have dropped 14% in the past 19 years, and have been basically flat since 2004, except for an obviously anomalous dip during the financial crisis (2009/2010). The prevailing trend lines are a steady drop of 1.7% per year from 1995-2004 and then a flat-line (.15% increase per year) 2004-2014. To go back a bit further, airfare dropped over 50% 1978-2006[1]. That is, the trend in the late '90s didn't start in '95. So no, parent's comment isn't quite literally true (prices have gone up 1.5% in the last decade), but historically prices clearly trend down, which I think is the point. [1] http://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_industry.html http://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_indust...

jusben1369 12y ago
Airfares are most definitely higher than they were in the mid 2000's. The global recession saw a big cut back in capacity and that capacity hasn't been added back in to the system to offset the ever stronger economy. Flights are fuller than they've been in a long time meaning higher fares etc.
- dageshi 12y ago
  How much of that is down to taxes and fuel prices? Oil has dropped recently but for most of the past 5-6 years it's been much much higher than it was back then.
- thedufer 12y ago
  > Airfares are most definitely higher than they were in the mid 2000's We've established that. The data shows that flights this year were about 13% higher than at the lowest point, which was 2009 (recession). They are a little under 5% higher than the lowest point during the "mid 2000's". These numbers (~.25% increase per year over 10 years) are fairly insignificant when you look at the broader trends (>1% decrease per year over 3-4 decades).
  - saryant 12y ago
    Yes, I was referring to airfares over the past few decades, not the recent past.
  - saryant 12y ago
    Yes, I was referring to airfares over the past few decades, not the recent past.