In Los Angeles? Instead of flying out of LAX (where an average flight costs $465), you may want to book a flight out of Long Beach Airport (LGB), where the average
Cheapflights.com just released their fourth annual Airport Affordability Index, which ranks popular airports with the most affordable round-trip airfares, including tax.
California's Long Beach Airport (Daugherty Field; LGB) has the cheapest flights, with an average fare of just $216. Last year, LGB came in at the number two spot. South Carolina's Myrtle Beach Jetport (MYR) jumped to the number two spot (last year it was #42) with an average airfare of $249, and California's Fresno Air Terminal (FAT) came in at #3 with an average airfare of $270.
At the bottom of the list was Honolulu International Airport (HNL), with an average airfare of $689. Other airports in the bottom 10 were Washington Dulles International (IAD), Miami International (MIA), and New York's JFK International.
The findings show that geography doesn't necessarily determine affordability. Instead, alternative airports in close proximity to large cities or outside of major metro areas tended to offer the cheapest flights. But keep in mind that a cheap airfare often means an indirect flight with several layovers.
Here are the top 10 cheapest airports:
| Rank | Airport | Avg. Airfare | 2012 Ranking |
| 1 | Long Beach (Daugherty Field), CA (LGB) | $216 | 2 |
| 2 | Myrtle Beach Jetport, SC (MYR) | $249 | 42 |
| 3 | Fresno Air Terminal, CA (FAT) | $270 | 3 |
| 4 | Burlington International, VT (BTV) | $284 | 28 |
| 5 | Metropolitan Oakland International, CA (OAK) | $287 | 8 |
| 6 | La Guardia, NY (LGA) | $290 | 23 |
| 7 | Harrisburg International, PA (MDT) | $291 | 4 |
| 8 | White Plains, NY (HPN) | $295 | 7 |
| 9 | Bob Hope Airport, CA (BUR) | $297 | 1 |
| 10 | Akron-Canton Regional, OH (CAK) | $303 | 11 |
And here are the 10 most expensive airports:
| Rank | Airport | Avg Airfare | 2012 Ranking |
| 92 | Albuquerque International, NM (ABQ) | $559 | 40 |
| 93 | Newark International, NJ (EWR) | $566 | 68 |
| 94 | Charlotte/Douglas International, NC (CLT) | $571 | 48 |
| 95 | John F. Kennedy International, NY (JFK) | $580 | 97 |
| 96 | Standiford Field, KY (SDF) | $587 | 54 |
| 97 | Salt Lake City International, UT (SLC) | $589 | 84 |
| 98 | Southwest Florida International, FL (RSW) | $603 | 47 |
| 99 | Miami International, FL (MIA) | $618 | 78 |
| 100 | Washington Dulles International (IAD) | $652 | 95 |
| 101 | Honolulu International, HI (HNL) | $689 | 100 |