Travelers dealing with higher airfare - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

If you are planning to do any traveling between now and the end of the year, you may be in for a rude awakening.  Airfares are climbing.  Flights out of Indianapolis are up more than 16 percent - the third-biggest such jump in the nation.

The average price of an airline ticket out of Indianapolis is more than $386.  That's $13 more than the national average.

So why the jump in airfares?

Officials at Indianapolis International Airport tell Eyewitness News there's been some consolidation and less competition on certain routes - also a trend nationwide - as more airlines merge and increase their pricing power at certain airports and hubs. Plus, airlines are trying to pass rising fuel prices on to passengers.

If airlines decrease capacity, and focus more on money-making routes such as to New York's La Guardia Airport, they can increase fares to offset their operating costs.

But with less non-stop options and higher ticket prices, many passengers are traveling less.

We spoke with some travelers here who say they've noticed the price increase, but for folks like Eric Bowman, who go a long distance, cost is not a reason to stop flying - yet.

"But it's cheaper for her to fly up here, than (for) me driving up there," Bowman said, "then coming back in 16 hours, you know, commute, just driving."

Checking some examples of what it would cost to take alternative transportation to certain cities, you will see, it's not always better to go by ground, either by bus, train or driving yourself:

To fly roundtrip to Orlando:
Airfare: $231 + Baggage
Train: $365
Greyhound bus: $332
Gas: $257

Round trip to Chicago:
Airfare: $169 + Baggage
Train: $52
MegaBus: $21
Gas: $51

Round trip to Washington, DC:
Airfare: $181 + Baggage
Train: $192
Greyhound: $207
Gas: $157

Round trip to Los Angeles:
Airfare: $336 + Baggage
Train: $364
Greyhound: $392
Gas: $540

The airport tells us they have been doing what they can to encourage airlines not to raise fares. They say since the new terminal opened, the operating costs affecting airlines have actually decreased.  They are also offering more incentives for airlines to bring in new flights.

Plus, having low-fare air carriers such as Frontier and Airtran at Indianapolis International helps create more competition, driving down some prices, especially as more airlines merge.  At Cincinnati for example, where Delta dominates, it's one of the most expensive airports to fly out of in the country.

Customers say Frontier and Airtran send email alerts regarding fare sales, allowing them to buy in advance and lock in the lowest available fare.

Frank Rutkowski has several tricks for saving money on airfares, including booking early and driving to a less-expensive airport. "I shop around," he said. "Sometimes I'll fly out of Midway. Drive up to Chicago. That's one of the tricks of the trade, I guess."