One Of The Country’s Most Expensive Airports Is In Utah

There was a time when I loved getting on an airplane and flying somewhere. Didn't matter if it was a smaller private aircraft, or a commercial flight leading off to a vacation, I couldn't wait to get into the sky.

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That's changed for me. Ever since the whole TSA situation and the standing in the long lines, the delightful pat downs and stocking feet, a trip to the airport is becoming as appealing to me as a root canal.

Whenever the option of driving to a destination is in the least bit practicle, I will exercise that option. Now, driving also brings challenges, but it's just more comfortable for me.

But, that's not to say I won't fly. A few years ago, we got a killer deal on an Alaskan cruise, and the family decided to we should all take advantage of it. But that meant getting up to Seattle to catch the ship. I was up for a road trip (we had already done it once when we took our first Alaska cruise), but the family said “NYET!” and so we flew to our cruise departure port. It was OK.

So recently, I've been thinking if I do need to make a trip by air, I would begin by leaving from one of our local, southern Utah airports. The lines are shorter, parking is cheaper, or even free, and once you've been screened here, if you don't leave the terminal area, you can keep your shoes on as you make a connecting flight.

Well for me, the most local airport is the Cedar City Regional airport, which does come with that free parking situation. There's only one problem with that. The only flights to and from our airport here go to the Salt Lake City International airport.

So what's the problem with that?

Well, according to this information that Axios compiled from the U.S. Department of Transportation, I'm going to pay more on a flight from Salt Lake City, than most of the 50 most busy airports in the country. In fact, SLC had the fourth highest average fare in the country for that size of airport at $411.

Now, I know I can get other destinations from flying from the St. George airport, but to get to those farther away airports, I'm going to pay a higher fare from St. George, so it kind of washes out.

If you're just looking at the cost of a fare, the best value around here would be Harry Reid International Airport down in Las Vegas where the average fare is $275.

Of course, as of now there are no direct flights from southern Utah to Vegas, so it would be drive and park, and those related headaches.

But I had a real example of the difference in fares between Las Vegas and Salt Lake. One year, I needed to fly out to Hawaii for a business opportunity, and decided to take Tammy with me. From Las Vegas we had round trip tickets at $249 (of course, that airline no longer operates). Later that year, I wanted to go out a meet a family member coming home after being on the islands for a couple of years. To be on the same flight, I had to fly out of Salt Lake City. This time the cost was over $800.

As in everything, it pays to shop and compare.

By the way, for fun, I went to the Department of Transportation website to see the information for the smaller, regional airports.

If you fly from the St. George Regional Airport, your average fair is going to be $551.14. Ogden airport has the lowest average fare in the state at $118.15, but where can you go from there? Oh yes, and from the Cedar City Regional Airport your average fare is $552.65, but free parking!