airfare

IPA/ˈeəfeə(r)/
KK[ˈɛrfˌɛr]IPA/ˈerfer/

airfare — noun

  • airfaresingular
  • airfaresplural

1. the amount of money a passenger pays an airline for a seat on a flight, usually

1.nounB1
Definition

the amount of money a passenger pays an airline for a seat on a flight, usually quoted as one-way or round-trip.

Example

The airfare to Tokyo doubled during the Lunar New Year holiday.

airfare to + [destination]

Kofi found a cheap airfare from Taipei to Bangkok on a budget airline.

collocation: cheap airfare; airfare from + [origin]

Common collocations
  • high airfare
  • low airfare
  • cheap airfare
  • round-trip airfare
  • one-way airfare
  • discounted airfare
  • cover the airfare
  • airfares rise
  • airfares drop
Synonyms
  • plane fare

    everyday equivalent, slightly more informal

  • ticket price

    broader; works for any kind of ticket, not only flights

  • flight cost

    general spending on a flight, may include taxes and fees beyond the base fare

Grammar Patterns

airfare to + [destination]

airfare from + [origin]

Usage Note

Often quoted with a destination using 'to' (airfare to Paris) or with a return type (round-trip airfare, one-way airfare). Both countable and uncountable: 'the airfare is high' or 'airfares have risen'.

Common Mistakes

I bought an airfare to Osaka.
I bought a plane ticket to Osaka.
you buy a ticket; the airfare is the price you pay for it.
The airfare price was too high.
The airfare was too high.
'airfare' already means the price, so 'airfare price' is redundant.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four refer to money spent on flying, but the focus differs. 'Airfare' is the standard term used by airlines, travel sites, and news reports — it names the published price of a flight seat, often quoted before taxes. 'Plane fare' means the same thing but sounds more conversational; you might hear it from a parent talking about getting their child home. 'Ticket price' is broader and works for trains, concerts, or movies, so it only narrows to flying when context makes it clear. 'Flight cost' is the loosest term and usually covers everything you spend to fly — base fare, baggage, seat selection, taxes — not just the headline number. Compare: 'The airfare is $400, but the flight cost climbed to $520 once we added baggage and a window seat.'

airfare ↗plane fareticket priceflight cost

Common collocations

Nouns

  • airfare increase
  • airfare deal
  • airfare comparison

Phrases

  • round-trip airfare
  • one-way airfare
  • cover the airfare
  • include airfare

Prepositions

  • airfare to
  • airfare from
  • airfare for

Etymology

Old EnglishModern English

A modern English compound formed in the early twentieth century by joining 'air' (the sky, used for travel by aircraft) with 'fare' (an old English word meaning the money paid for a journey). 'Fare' had been used for centuries with stagecoaches, ships, trains, and taxis, so when commercial flying began, English speakers naturally extended the same word to flights and welded it to 'air'. The compound became standard once air travel turned into a regular consumer service.