Airlines to Add More Seats to Their Summer Schedules

In Flight

Frequent flyers get more choices this summer, as airlines add 116,000 departing seats per day from American airports. Industry organization Airlines for America projects 246.1 million flyers will take to the skies during the summer months, with a total of 2.32 million flying domestically daily.

If you are planning a summer trip, get ready to have your selection of seats across all cabins. Airlines for America (A4A) says airlines will add 116,000 more departing seats every day to cope with the increased demand for air travel during the summer of 2018.

In the organization’s quarterly performance review and projection, vice president and chief economist John Heimlich announced 246.1 million flyers are expected to take to the skies over the summertime. Among them, 2.32 million will fly to domestic destinations daily, while another 345,000 will depart every day to another country.

“As the economy grows along with household net worth, passengers are taking advantage of persistently low airfares for their summer travel plans,” Heimlich said. The summer months are expected to be busy because travelers are “enjoying historically low airfares, increased in-flight amenities and modern technology throughout the flight experience, from the time of booking all the way through arrival at their destination.”

The organization credited the travel spike to the lowest average airfare prices in seven years. In 2017, the average base ticket cost in modern dollars was $340, or $363 after ancillary fees. This is nearly $50 lower than 2014 and around $15 less than in 2010.

In turn, airfares were driven down because of deregulation and increased competition, the organization said. To illustrate their point, A4A showcased passenger growth between greater Cleveland and Boston, as well as Los Angeles and Seattle. In both combinations, real airfares dropped by 20 percent between 2007 and 2017, while market share was redistributed between more competing airlines.

Weekends are going to be the busiest times at the airport, and A4A is advising flyers to consider weekday travel. Data from 2017 showed 22 of the 25 busiest air travel days were on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays during the summer months. To beat the crowds, analysts say technology and PreCheck are the most viable options for improvement.

“We’ve got to get more people in the PreCheck program,” A4A vice president of legislative and regulatory policy Sharon L. Plinkerton said. “And deploy technology more quickly.”

When FlyerTalk asked about the potential for more award seats, Heimlich pointed towards the increased number of seats as a positive indicator. With more aircraft taking off every day, the odds of finding a flight available with miles could also grow.

“The best sign is that we’re expecting 96,000 more passengers but airlines are deploying 116,000 more seats,” Heimlich told FlyerTalk. “Although we’re seeing record demand, we’re also seeing record supply as well.”

However, that may not necessarily translate to more upgrade opportunities. As airlines tighten up on who gets elite status, the opportunity to move up the cabin may quietly disappear.

“You have seen carriers in the past couple years generally acknowledge passenger spend, not just volume of flight activity,” Heimlich continued.

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