Upcoming Summer Travel to be the Busiest Ever for U.S. Airlines

Upcoming Summer Travel to be the Busiest Ever for U.S. Airlines

According to the Airlines for America (A4A) website, this year, U.S. carriers traveling internationally will accommodate 31 million more travelers than last year. In addition to this, more seats are being offered this year since the 2008-2009 recession. This means that travel for the upcoming summer would be at its highest – ever.

From June 1 to August 31, an estimated 222 million passengers are expected to fly for summer travel – this number is up 4.5 percent from last year. To meet demand airlines will be offering 126,000 more seats per day during those summer travel months.

According to Zacks, the most popular international destinations for summer travel are Canada, Mexico, The U.K., Germany and Japan. Zacks also reported that the airline industry has reaped the benefits of decreased oil prices due to a surplus of oil. The low cost of oil paired with what Dispatch refers to as a “rebounding economy,” will be what leads the airlines to their busiest summer of all-time.

Dispatch also claims that 13 of the 15 busiest days to travel happen to be during the summer time, which could be somewhat disastrous. Airlines are able to plan in advance for blizzards but unpredictable weather in the summertime could create real challenges – especially at such an eventful time. However, John Heimlich Vice President and Chief Economist for A4A, claims that U.S. airlines will be well-prepared to accommodate travelers on these busy travel days by, “adding flights and seats, and deploying new and larger aircraft, along with a boost in staffing to enhance the customer experience.”