Traffic & Transit
BWI Airport Among Cheapest In Country, Study Finds
Baltimore Washington Airport is one of the 25 cheapest for users in the country, while Dulles and Reagan airports are some of the priciest.
BALTIMORE, MD — Flying in and out of two of the three airports in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region is more expensive for travelers than most metros in the nation, according to a new study that looked at costs for everything from domestic air fare to a cup of airport coffee and parking.
Both airports in northern Virginia ranked in the top 25 of The Point Guy's report, with the most expensive in the USA being Newark Liberty. New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport came in second in the country, with Dulles International Airport ranked third overall. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport landed at No. 23 on the most expensive list.
On the flip side, Baltimore/Washington International Airport was ranked No. 7 on the list of cheapest airports.
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The cost of a domestic round-trip ticket was the biggest factor looked at, but researchers also took into account the cost of baggage cart rentals, parking fees, the price of a ride into town and even the average cost of coffee.
"Airfare is only part of the equation when calculating the true cost of a vacation," said Scott Mayerowitz, Executive News Director for The Points Guy.
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"Sometimes it might actually be cheaper to pay $10 more per ticket in order to save much more on a taxi or food at the airport. Savvy travelers can use our research to make informed decisions ahead of their next trip."
Despite topping all other airports for the average airfare cost, Washington Dulles bumped down a couple of notches on the most-expensive airports list because a relatively inexpensive Uber ride helped moderate the price, as did the six Priority Pass Lounges.
Dulles has the most expensive domestic airfare in the nation on average: $447.97.
A bag cart at BWI and Reagan National costs $4.75.
Here how the costs broke down:
Most/Least Expensive Airfare:
Dulles International Airport - $448
McCarran International Airport - $248
Most/Least Expensive Cup of Coffee:
LaGuardia International Airport - $3.10
Portland International Airport - $2.15
Most/Least Expensive Baggage-Cart Rental:
LaGuardia International Airport - $6.39
30 airports tied for this metric - $4.75
Most/Least Expensive 24-hour Parking Fee:
Tie: Los Angeles International Airport, O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport - $40
Charlotte International Airport - $10
Most/Least Expensive Ride to Nearest City Center:
Newark International Airport - $132
San Diego International Airport - $8.50
The five most expensive airports, in order, were:
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) (Newark, New Jersey)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) (New York City, New York)
- Dulles International Airport (IAD) (Dulles, Virginia)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (San Francisco, California)
- LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) (New York City, New York)
The most affordable airports in the country are:
- McCarran International Airport (LAS) (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) (Orlando, Florida)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) (San Jose, California)
- Oakland International Airport (OAK) (Oakland, California)
— Includes reporting by Adam Nichols, Patch Staff.
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