Airfare prices today are more affordable and accessible compared to the "golden era" of aviation 70 years ago. Despite complaints about shrinking seat space and declining service quality, travelers cannot deny that a flight costing a few hundred US dollars today once cost thousands of US dollars.

According to research by Compass Lexecon, a flight from Los Angeles to Boston in 1941 cost the equivalent of 4,500 USD per person in current value. This journey spanned 15 hours and 15 minutes, requiring 12 stops.

A direct flight on the same route in 2015 cost 480 USD and took approximately 6 hours. Thanks to increasing competition from low-cost airlines, passengers could even find tickets for about 283 USD.

Comparison of flight prices and times in 1941 and 2015. Photo: Travel + Leisure

During the 1940-1960 period, air travel was considered a luxury service, primarily due to regulatory mechanisms. Before the US enacted the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, airlines were treated as public utilities, and fares were set by the federal government to ensure sufficient revenue for companies.

In 1979, a domestic round-trip air ticket cost approximately 615 USD in current value. By 2016, this average price had fallen to 344 USD. Although ancillary fees increased from the equivalent of 1,6 USD to 22,7 USD during the same period, the total airfare passengers paid was still significantly cheaper than before.

The Compass Lexecon report indicates that from 1990 to 2016, the cost of domestic flights per mile decreased by 40% (or 36% including ancillary fees). This reduction occurred despite a 110% increase in airline fuel prices since 1998 and the demand shock caused by the Great Recession from 2008-2009.

Without legal protections, the pressure from high operating costs and market decline pushed many airlines towards bankruptcy or mergers. However, the emergence of low-cost carriers provided more options for passengers, creating competitive pressure that forced the entire industry to maintain reasonable prices.

Owning an airplane ticket is no longer difficult. Illustration photo

With increasingly cheaper costs and larger aircraft, air travel has transformed from a privilege of the few into a service for the masses. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global airline passenger traffic increased from 1,6 billion in 2002 to 2,1 billion in 2005, and 3,5 billion in 2015.

After the golden era, glamorous flights became a thing of the past, but at least more travelers now have the opportunity to experience and, perhaps, complain about the service.

Tam Anh (according to Travel+Leisure, Dailypassport)