Where do you get 4.1% inflation from? CPI for the USD hasn't gone up by that much in a single year for the last decade, annualized inflation is closer to 2.5% over that period.

4.1% is the 10th root of 150% minus 1.

"OMG, this cost went up 50% over ten years!" sounds like a dire situation, when in fact it's a tiny margin over whatever inflation measure you prefer.

If you take 2.5% as the annualized inflation, that's 28% over that 10 year period, meaning the other 17% increase is 1.6% "real dollar increase" per year. Hardly frightening, IMO.

Ah. I interpreted your statement as "we had 4.1% inflation in the last decade". Your intent was "it's as if we 'd had 4.1% inflation, not much more than actual inflation".

I completely agree that nominal gas rates aren't the right measure, and the real price increase has indeed been tiny.

Euro area inflation has been way lower than that, it seems. Including negative % on some years

Have fuel costs and taxes also done the same, though? Fuel will make the majority of operating costs if you fly with any frequency, I suspect.