A round-trip coach ticket from New York to Los Angeles costs $444 in the U.S. as of October 2026. In 1950 it cost $160, or $2,239 in today’s dollars. Adjusted for inflation, the flight costs 80% less today than in 1950.
Price at the time In October 2026 dollars
U.S. round trip coach, New York to Los Angeles. ≈ marks estimates between data points.
| Year | Price | In today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $160 | $2,239 |
| 1951 | ≈$164 | ≈$2,133 |
| 1952 | ≈$169 | ≈$2,142 |
| 1953 | ≈$174 | ≈$2,185 |
| 1954 | ≈$178 | ≈$2,245 |
| 1955 | ≈$183 | ≈$2,307 |
| 1956 | ≈$188 | ≈$2,335 |
| 1957 | ≈$194 | ≈$2,323 |
| 1958 | ≈$199 | ≈$2,321 |
| 1959 | ≈$204 | ≈$2,360 |
| 1960 | $210 | $2,393 |
| 1961 | ≈$210 | ≈$2,374 |
| 1962 | ≈$211 | ≈$2,356 |
| 1963 | ≈$211 | ≈$2,331 |
| 1964 | ≈$212 | ≈$2,306 |
| 1965 | ≈$212 | ≈$2,275 |
| 1966 | ≈$213 | ≈$2,210 |
| 1967 | ≈$213 | ≈$2,156 |
| 1968 | ≈$214 | ≈$2,074 |
| 1969 | ≈$214 | ≈$1,971 |
| 1970 | $215 | $1,869 |
| 1971 | ≈$227 | ≈$1,888 |
| 1972 | ≈$239 | ≈$1,928 |
| 1973 | ≈$252 | ≈$1,914 |
| 1974 | ≈$266 | ≈$1,817 |
| 1975 | $280 | $1,755 |
| 1976 | ≈$301 | ≈$1,782 |
| 1977 | ≈$323 | ≈$1,797 |
| 1978 | ≈$347 | ≈$1,794 |
| 1979 | ≈$372 | ≈$1,730 |
| 1980 | $400 | $1,637 |
| 1981 | ≈$404 | ≈$1,499 |
| 1982 | ≈$408 | ≈$1,426 |
| 1983 | ≈$412 | ≈$1,395 |
| 1984 | ≈$416 | ≈$1,350 |
| 1985 | $420 | $1,316 |
| 1986 | ≈$426 | ≈$1,310 |
| 1987 | ≈$432 | ≈$1,282 |
| 1988 | ≈$438 | ≈$1,248 |
| 1989 | ≈$444 | ≈$1,207 |
| 1990 | $450 | $1,161 |
| 1991 | ≈$448 | ≈$1,109 |
| 1992 | ≈$446 | ≈$1,072 |
| 1993 | ≈$444 | ≈$1,036 |
| 1994 | ≈$442 | ≈$1,006 |
| 1995 | $440 | $974 |
| 1996 | ≈$444 | ≈$955 |
| 1997 | ≈$448 | ≈$941 |
| 1998 | ≈$452 | ≈$935 |
| 1999 | ≈$456 | ≈$923 |
| 2000 | $460 | $901 |
| 2001 | ≈$450 | ≈$856 |
| 2002 | ≈$439 | ≈$824 |
| 2003 | ≈$429 | ≈$787 |
| 2004 | ≈$420 | ≈$749 |
| 2005 | $410 | $708 |
| 2006 | ≈$408 | ≈$683 |
| 2007 | ≈$406 | ≈$660 |
| 2008 | ≈$404 | ≈$633 |
| 2009 | ≈$402 | ≈$632 |
| 2010 | $400 | $619 |
| 2011 | ≈$402 | ≈$603 |
| 2012 | ≈$404 | ≈$593 |
| 2013 | ≈$406 | ≈$588 |
| 2014 | ≈$408 | ≈$581 |
| 2015 | $410 | $583 |
| 2016 | ≈$404 | ≈$567 |
| 2017 | ≈$397 | ≈$547 |
| 2018 | ≈$391 | ≈$525 |
| 2019 | $385 | $508 |
| 2020 | $320 | $417 |
| 2021 | ≈$367 | ≈$454 |
| 2022 | $420 | $478 |
| 2023 | $430 | $475 |
| 2024 | $420 | $451 |
| 2025 | $430 | $449 |
| Oct 2026 (latest) | $444 | $444 |
Estimate, guided by Airlines for America’s average domestic round-trip fares.
Each year shows the U.S. figure at midyear. Years marked ≈ fall between this series’ data points and are estimated by smooth interpolation between them. Today’s dollars use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). How it works.
What everything cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. All prices.