Summary Charlotte Douglas Airport's high airfares are due to factors like American Airlines' monopoly and lack of low-cost carriers. The airport's major hub status attracts business travelers, willing to pay premium prices for last-minute flexibility. Ongoing terminal expansion adds to costs, but keeps pace with increasing passenger demand in a post-pandemic travel boom.
With average airfares of $425, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) was the second most expensive airport in the US in a 2019 study, coming in just behind Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). By contrast, Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas was the cheapest, with average airfares of around $300. The airport is a major hub for American Airlines , and primarily serves destinations across the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Year-round long-haul services are limited to Munich (MUC) from Lufthansa, and Munich, and Frankfurt (FRA), and a now three times daily flight to London Heathrow (LHR) from American Airlines. The oneworld carrier also operates summer seasonal flights to Dublin (DUB), Paris (CDG), and Rome (FCO). Like many airports across the world, Charlotte Douglas International Airport has experienced a boom following the pandemic, and in 2021, it was the sixth-busiest airport in the US, with more than 20 million passengers.
This put it ahead of several major international hubs, including New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), with 15 million passenger.