Airfares continue to rise, up 12 percent since 2009

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of flying continues to climb, with the average domestic roundtrip ticket, including tax, reaching $363.42 last year, up more than $7 from the prior year.

The 2 percent increase outpaced inflation, which stood at 1.5 percent for the year, and represents the fourth consecutive year fliers have faced price hikes.

Airfares have risen nearly 12 percent since the recessionary low in 2009, when adjusted for inflation, according to an Associated Press analysis of fare data from the Airlines Reporting Corp., which processes ticket transactions for airlines and more than 9,400 travel agencies, including websites such as Expedia and Orbitz.

The price of flying has gone up as airlines have cut unprofitable routes, packed more passengers into planes and have merged with one another, providing travelers with fewer options.

Today, 84 percent of seats are filled with paying passengers, up from 82 percent in 2009.