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According to an analysis by the Adobe Digital Economy Index, based on online flight ticket sales from six of the top ten airlines in the US, domestic flight sales in February exceeded sales for the same period in 2019. This recovery is attributed to a significant decrease in Omicron infections in the US, coupled with the easing of restrictions which has led to a surge in demand for travel.
"We are seeing clear shifts in people's travel demand," said Vivek Pandya, head of the analysis. "Now we will consider how to sustain this trend and create momentum for other sectors."
According to the analysis, American travelers spent approximately $6.6 billion on domestic flights in February, about 6% more than three years earlier, with ticket sales increasing by 4% and prices rising by about 5%. Preliminary data suggests this trend is expected to continue into March.
Based on this data, US airlines anticipate that next summer will be a busy travel season for the country. Photo: Alyssa Pointer
This optimistic signal was mentioned by several airlines at the JP Morgan Investor Conference on March 15th.
At the conference, the CEOs of American Airlines and Delta Air Lines said they had seen record daily revenue last week. Delta added that it expects quarterly revenue to slightly exceed previous estimates, while United Airlines said its travel activity is recovering faster than expected, reaching its highest level since the pandemic began.
Southwest Airlines also has a new forecast for its operations, projecting that operating revenue in the first quarter of this year will decrease by 8 to 10 percent compared to the same period in 2019, a smaller decline than the 10 to 15 percent the airline had previously projected.
The U.S. says improved revenue will be a "major offset" for the surge in fuel prices since the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. While rising fuel prices may be a drawback, next summer is still expected to be a promising travel season for the U.S.
