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U.S. Airlines Set to Soar This Thanksgiving Travel Period
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It is a well-documented fact that air travel demand has bounced back strongly from the pandemic lows. Driven by buoyant passenger volumes, the upcoming Thanksgiving travel period (Nov 17-27) is expected to be a very busy one for U.S. airlines.
Upbeat traffic volumes during the Labor Day holiday weekend earlier this year further highlight the encouraging scenario. Therefore, we believe that investors interested in the industry would do well to keep U.S. airline stocks like United Airlines (UAL - Free Report) , American Airlines (AAL - Free Report) and Delta Air Lines (DAL - Free Report) on their radar.
Following the removal of coronavirus-induced restrictions, pent-up demand has been driving traffic for the airlines. Despite inflationary pressures and the resultant high interest rates, there is a wave of optimism in the United States surrounding air travel demand.
To meet the anticipated demand swell, U.S. airlines are boosting capacity (airlines are offering 253,000 more seats per day during the period) despite challenges like high labor and fuel costs. These headwinds are unlikely to have a significant adverse impact on passenger volumes in the Thanksgiving period, as people are eager to travel after being confined to their homes during the pandemic.
Per A4A, air travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period this year is likely to touch an all-time high. Passenger volume is expected to be nearly 30 million over the 11-day period. The forecast implies that 2.7 million passengers are likely to fly per day, a 9% increase from 2022 actuals. Per the projection, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov 26, is likely to be the busiest day of the 11-day holiday period. A record 3.2 million passengers are expected to take to the skies on that day.
Moreover, the prevalence of remote working is expected to ease the congestion with respect to air travel this year as it helps many people travel on days when the rush is likely to be relatively less, and air tickets are comparatively cheaper.
Delta expects approximately 6 million passengers to avail its flights in the Nov 18-29 timeframe. The forecast implies that nearly 50,000 passengers are likely to fly per day. Management believes that Delta’s peak travel days are expected to be the Friday before Thanksgiving (and the Sunday following the holiday). American Airlines expects the busiest-ever Thanksgiving travel period. Management expects that more than 7.8 million passengers will avail of its flights in the Nov 16-Nov 28 timeframe.
Like AAL, United Airlines expects the busiest-ever Thanksgiving travel period. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is expected to be the busiest in terms of air traffic. Management expects 5.9 million passengers to board its flights over the 11-day Thanksgiving travel period.
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U.S. Airlines Set to Soar This Thanksgiving Travel Period
It is a well-documented fact that air travel demand has bounced back strongly from the pandemic lows. Driven by buoyant passenger volumes, the upcoming Thanksgiving travel period (Nov 17-27) is expected to be a very busy one for U.S. airlines.
Upbeat traffic volumes during the Labor Day holiday weekend earlier this year further highlight the encouraging scenario. Therefore, we believe that investors interested in the industry would do well to keep U.S. airline stocks like United Airlines (UAL - Free Report) , American Airlines (AAL - Free Report) and Delta Air Lines (DAL - Free Report) on their radar.
The abovementioned stocks currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here
Following the removal of coronavirus-induced restrictions, pent-up demand has been driving traffic for the airlines. Despite inflationary pressures and the resultant high interest rates, there is a wave of optimism in the United States surrounding air travel demand.
To meet the anticipated demand swell, U.S. airlines are boosting capacity (airlines are offering 253,000 more seats per day during the period) despite challenges like high labor and fuel costs. These headwinds are unlikely to have a significant adverse impact on passenger volumes in the Thanksgiving period, as people are eager to travel after being confined to their homes during the pandemic.
Per A4A, air travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period this year is likely to touch an all-time high. Passenger volume is expected to be nearly 30 million over the 11-day period. The forecast implies that 2.7 million passengers are likely to fly per day, a 9% increase from 2022 actuals. Per the projection, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov 26, is likely to be the busiest day of the 11-day holiday period. A record 3.2 million passengers are expected to take to the skies on that day.
Moreover, the prevalence of remote working is expected to ease the congestion with respect to air travel this year as it helps many people travel on days when the rush is likely to be relatively less, and air tickets are comparatively cheaper.
Delta expects approximately 6 million passengers to avail its flights in the Nov 18-29 timeframe. The forecast implies that nearly 50,000 passengers are likely to fly per day. Management believes that Delta’s peak travel days are expected to be the Friday before Thanksgiving (and the Sunday following the holiday). American Airlines expects the busiest-ever Thanksgiving travel period. Management expects that more than 7.8 million passengers will avail of its flights in the Nov 16-Nov 28 timeframe.
Like AAL, United Airlines expects the busiest-ever Thanksgiving travel period. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is expected to be the busiest in terms of air traffic. Management expects 5.9 million passengers to board its flights over the 11-day Thanksgiving travel period.