Moan and groan about the economy all you want, but don't do it when you're buying a plane ticket for a flight out of Denver International Airport. The average fare for a domestic flight from DIA is $294. That's 33.5 percent less than 10 years ago, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data cited by the Denver Business Journal—a figure that drops even lower if inflation is factored. A decade ago, average domestic fares stood at $442. Moreover, domestic fares at DIA were well below the national average of $341.

One probable reason ticket prices are so competitive is, well, competition. Discount carrier Southwest Airlines is now a strong enough force at DIA that it helps contain fare increases from Frontier and United airlines. Case in point is a new Southwest sale that's caused a ruckus: $30 one-way tickets for travel up to 450 miles and $60 one-way tickets for travel between 451 and 1,000 miles, writes CBS4, which points out that the fares are cheaper than gassing up the car and enduring the hassles of driving. That is, of course, once you get used to those new airport security pat-downs (via USA Today).