Travel tips for international trips
Travel smarter and safer on international trips with these tips.
- A new study analyzed 50 of North America’s busiest airports to determine the most and least expensive for travelers.
- The analysis considered costs for airport drinks, nearby hotels, and parking to calculate the total expense.
- New York’s LaGuardia Airport was ranked the most expensive, while Tijuana International Airport in Mexico was the most affordable.
Preparing for your holiday travel plans? Your wallet is likely preparing, too.
Many Americans set off on trips for pleasure or to see family during the busy holiday season, but this also means facing peak travel prices. Add on transportation to the airport, food and hotel stays to that cost, and you may feel your budget being stretched.
How much you end up spending on air travel also depends on which airport you fly from, with certain North American airports costing more than others for not only flights, but also other often-forgotten expenses such as parking and food.
To help travelers determine how much they may spend, the experts at Casino.ca analyzed 50 of the busiest North American airports using the average price for airport drinks, hotels and parking from data collected in June. According to the study, some of the biggest U.S. hubs are also the most expensive, while Mexico is home to cheaper airports.
“We’ve analyzed the fees and travel costs associated with 50 of the busiest North American airports, and we strongly encourage travelers to understand these expenses – especially families or larger groups – before booking,” said Lara Wilson, an expert at Casino.ca. in a statement to USA TODAY.
“Exploring alternative routes or more cost-effective travel options can make a big difference to your budget,” she added. (Travelers can potentially score better deals if they fly on a weekday instead of a weekend or set a price-tracking tool to get alerted when a flight’s price is down.)
Here are the most and least affordable airports in North America.
10 most expensive North American airports
Below are the most expensive airports based on the total average cost of one beer, night of parking and the nightly hotel rate:
- LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York: $381.41
- Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado: $351.41
- Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts: $335.91
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas, Texas: $325.05
- John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, New York: $309.55
- San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California: $301.58
- San Diego International Airport in San Diego, California: $282.13
- Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida: $272.90
- Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Canada: $259.07
- Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois: $258.10
10 cheapest North American airports
Here are the cheapest airports for travelers in North America based on the cost of one beer, a night at an airport hotel and overnight parking.
- Tijuana International Airport in Tijuana, Mexico: $105.80
- William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas: $122.95
- Cancun International Airport in Cancun, Mexico: $128.06
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana: $142.53
- Guadalajara International Airport in Guadalajara, Mexico: $143.59
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona: $146.41
- Monterrey International Airport in Monterrey, Mexico: $153.28
- Mexico City International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico: $156.19
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Raleigh, North Carolina: $160.21
- Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah: $165.43
