What is the average cost an airline incurs to carry a passenger?

Question

These days, how much does it actually cost the airline to transport you and your luggage? (I know prices will differ based on flight length, I'm just looking for an average number.)

Answer 1

The industry’s 31 percent first quarter cost increase compares with a 4.2 rise in the Consumer Price Index. Airline fuel costs were up more than 50 percent for the quarter, while maintenance materials costs rose almost 20 percent, and operating costs per available seat mile went up 1.5 cents to a record 13.72 cents

Answer 2

It costs an airline an extra couple bucks to put another person on a plane.  This is the incremental cost of fuel for hauling an extra 150 or so pounds.

The vast majority of the cost of fuel is eaten up by the sheer amount of power necessary to haul all 200,000 pounds of that plane up into the air.  An extra 100-200 pounds is nothing compared to that.

For your calculating delights, consider that a fully loaded plane gets about 20 - 24 miles per gallon per person.  

At $4/gallon for jet fuel, a plane carrying 120 people on a 1000 mile journey would cost about $22,000 for the fuel alone, or $180 per person.  Add in the cost of the pilot, flight attendants, ground crew, maintenance, and the cost of the plane itself and it's a wonder the airlines ever make money.