From Bill White –

Anchorage had the nation’s highest average air fares in the second quarter among the largest airports, according to a new report from the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Anchorage fares averaged $536.61 during the quarter, the bureau said.

The next highest was Huntsville, Ala., at $485. The U.S. average was $341.

Air fares have been rising nationally, with the U.S. average up 13 percent from the second quarter of 2009 to the same three months of this year. The average Anchorage fares were up just 2 percent in those 12 months.

When looked at over a longer period – 10 years – average U.S. air fares have been flat. Anchorage fares were up 34 percent from a decade ago.

Here’s what info the bureau gathered:

Domestic fares, round-trip or one-way if no return ticket was bought. The fare included the total ticket value, including taxes and airport fees, but not baggage fees. Frequent-flier or free tickets weren’t counted.

The bureau looked only at the largest airports, with Anchorage’s being the only one measured in Alaska. So those high fares from Dutch Harbor, Barrow or other Alaska towns didn’t make the bureau’s table.