Atlanta airfares down, mirroring national trend

The average domestic fare in the first quarter was down about 12.2 percent from a year earlier.

If you got a good deal on the last flight you booked, you’re not alone.

Average Atlanta domestic airfares are down significantly, according to the latest federal data, thanks to low fuel costs and competition from low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier airlines.

The average domestic fare in Atlanta was $373.26 in the first quarter of this year, down about 12.2 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics this week.

For four quarters in a row, average domestic airfares in Atlanta have been in the $362 to $399 range. They had exceeded $400 in the five quarters prior to that.

Fares are down nationally as well. The average domestic fare fell 7.8 percent to $361 in the first quarter of 2016. That was the lowest level since 2010 when adjusted for inflation.

The federal fare report is based on round-trip domestic flights, unless only a one-way trip was booked. Fares do not include baggage fees and fees for other optional services.

Travelers love low fares, but airline executives have been wringing their hands over how to stop the slide in their “unit revenue.” Delta reported a 4.9 percent decline in passenger unit revenue in its most recent quarterly financial results, and the airline has been struggling to get its unit revenue stabilized.

“We need to continue to get revenues back on a positive track,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said during an investor conference call earlier this month.