Las Vegas is a world-class entertainment hub with lavish resorts and world-famous casinos. So, it's not surprising that Sin City received 40.8 million visitors in 2023, up by 5.2% from the 2022 reported figures by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Alex Miller, the founder and CEO of Upgraded Points and an industry expert, conducted an airfare trends analysis in Las Vegas to shed more light on such factors as average airfare prices, travel options, and comparisons to other top destinations in the U.S. His comprehensive study analyzed over 6,000 flight itineraries.
U.S. air travel is one of the industries that collapsed during the pandemic. Visitors to Las Vegas dropped from 42.5 million in 2019 to 19 million in 2020. Hence, the 2023 figures show an industry fully recovering from the shock. Did discounted ticket pricing boost the fast recovery?
Miller’s analysis noted that there were nationwide increases in ticket prices due to rising inflation. Yet, airlines operating the Las Vegas travel circuit charged 40% lower than their rates in the early 2000s. It's like an intentional pricing strategy to keep Sin City as appealing as possible.
Popular Flight routes to and from Las Vegas
Further, Miller’s analysis discovered that specific flight routes to and from Las Vegas are a favorite amongst travelers. These include:
Los Angeles to Las Vegas due to the proximity
San Francisco to Las Vegas for leisure
New York City to Las Vegas for conferencing.
When comparing the Las Vegas flight trends with other nationwide routes, the study reveals routes to and from New York City and Florida are the most expensive in the country. The New York - Miami route is busiest during winter when travelers opt for warmer tourist destinations. Likewise, the New York to Los Angeles route remains expensive due to the constant high demand. These factors help explain the dynamics in airfare prices in the region and why Las Vegas routes are comparatively affordable.