Flights are the cheapest they've ever been as airlines slash costs and try to coax back travelers mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com (Mary Meisenzahl) Airfare is lower than ever as carriers try to draw customers back in. The average domestic ticket price is $245, the lowest on record. Airlines are using available cheap planes and laid off flight crews to offer low prices. Airlines are using cut-rate ticket prices to appeal to customers ready to travel again after a year of the pandemic. The latest average domestic fair reported by the Department of Transportation is $244.79, the lowest on record according to DOT. That price is down 30% compared to last year at the same time, Bloomberg reported.