These are the airports you can find the cheapest air fares from (usually)

You can find especially cheap air fares from Cairo airport (Source)

In this post, I want to discuss a topic that’s close to my heart: airports with consistently great airfare pricing, especially in premium cabins.

I always prefer to redeem miles and points for premium cabin flights when possible. However, with a bit of effort, you can sometimes find first and business class tickets at incredibly attractive prices, costing only a fraction of what you’d pay if originating elsewhere.

In this post, I’ll delve deeper into this. Which airports offer great pricing in first and business class? Why is that the case? And does it even matter if you don’t live near one of those airports?

Why is airfare pricing so origin dependent?

Airline pricing is incredibly complex. Airlines don’t charge for tickets based on the cost of providing transportation but rather price based on the desire to maximize revenue. The goal is always to get the highest fares possible while also filling as many seats as possible—after all, when a seat goes out empty, that’s lost revenue.

Airlines segment the market through price discrimination, knowing that consumers' willingness to pay varies significantly based on their origin.

For example, SWISS offers roundtrip first class fares from Cairo to New York via Zurich for under $3,800.

Google Flights

Meanwhile, the same exact itinerary in the opposite direction costs over $14,000.

Google Flights

This principle also explains why nonstop domestic itineraries are often more expensive than connecting ones. Airlines know people are willing to pay a premium for convenience, so they price nonstops higher.

Remember, on a micro level, airline pricing is never about the costs incurred by airlines but about the willingness of consumers to pay.

Which airports have the cheapest fares?

Over the years, some airports have gained a reputation for having cheap first and business class fares. While this won’t be the case in every situation, it’s true more often than not.

Before sharing specific examples, let’s note some general trends between markets when traveling in premium cabins:

• Airfare is most expensive if originating in the United States, so transatlantic fares are typically much cheaper if originating in Europe, India, etc.

• In Asia, itineraries are cheaper if originating in Southeast Asia rather than North Asia.

• In the greater Middle East region, itineraries are cheaper if originating in North Africa, India, Pakistan, etc., rather than on the Gulf peninsula.

Some airports known for having exceptionally good fares include the three “Cs”: Cairo, Egypt (CAI), Colombo, Sri Lanka (CMB), and Casablanca, Morocco (CMN). Additionally, Algiers, Algeria (ALG), and Tunis, Tunisia (TUN), also offer attractive premium airfare.

Other useful airports for good fares include:

• In Europe: Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH); Oslo, Norway (OSL); Dublin, Ireland (DUB)

• In Southeast Asia: Bangkok, Thailand (BKK); Jakarta, Indonesia (CGK); Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL)

Airports with usually cheaper air fares (Source)

Using tools like Google Flights makes it easy to compare fares across various markets and find good deals. Remember to check visa requirements for these airports based on your passport. Also, note that transiting through Cairo Airport isn’t always pleasant.

Are there any practical implications?

You might wonder, “I live in Houston, how does a good fare out of Cairo help me?” That’s a fair point.

I’m an outlier because I often travel to review specific first and business class products, and want to do so economically. This often brings me through Cairo Airport, where I can almost always find a great premium fare for whatever product I want to review.

While I’m an extreme example, I’m not alone. Many aviation enthusiasts take specific inaugural flights, and originating the trip at one of these airports is often the best value.

Even beyond aviation geeks, there’s value in cheap premium fares. For example, if you’re planning a vacation to a destination with great premium fares, you can redeem miles for one direction and book a cheap premium cabin fare for the other.

Emirates has great fares from Cairo airport (Source)

You can also consider nesting tickets somewhere with cheaper fares. For instance, if you often travel between the United States and Europe, and live in Los Angeles but frequently visit Dublin, you could book a one-way award ticket and then plan your trips as roundtrips originating in Dublin, with your “layover” being your time at home in Los Angeles.

Why? Aer Lingus’ roundtrip business class fares from Los Angeles to Dublin are typically close to $4,000, whereas fares in the opposite direction are roughly half that. That’s quite a difference, right?

Bottom line

Airfare pricing can differ drastically based on where your travel originates, even if you’re going between the same city pairs. There are great opportunities to take advantage of this by positioning yourself to airports with cheap fares.

Admittedly, this isn’t practical for everyone and often won’t make sense. Still, it’s worth discussing this in more detail and explaining why Cairo Airport has become my second home when traveling.