There is always the promise of lower fares when low-cost, or economy carriers come to Charleston International Airport, but are they actually lowering the cost to fly out of CHS?
Yes. Every time.
According to statistics from Flight Global, a group that tracks this kind of thing, back in 2010 the average fare we paid to fly from Charleston was $223. Enter Southwest in 2011, and the average dropped to $211. The relief was short-lived, as the average went back up to $225 in 2012.
Jet Blue landed at CHS in 2013, and the average dropped again. This time they dipped to $213. Alaska Airlines came to the area at the end of 2015, and the fares came down to $208 in the first quarter of 2016.
As of the last numbers posted at the end of 2017, airfares are up to $214 on average, but experts are expecting them to respond to Frontier, and Allegiant entering the fray.
