US Flights Load factors

Dublinflyer · 18-06-2025 10:55AM #1

TicTok is full of clips of people on flights to and from the US with dozens of empty seats blaming the current enviroment with everything going on there. I'm just curious has anyone here made made any recent trips to the US and what were the flights like? I find it hard to believe that it's that bad from the EU, but could be very wrong. I used to go over once a month but changed jobs so I don't do that anymore. I would have thought if it was that bad the airlies would be running sales to try get people flying especially after the summer season.

Cookiemunster · 18-06-2025 11:05AM

According to this Western Europeans are traveling there less, but US visitor numbres to Europe are making up the difference.

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2025/0618/1519033-us-airfares/

Dublinflyer · 18-06-2025 11:21AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123556258#Comment_123556258

That's interesting, you have the number crunchers saying that demand and fares are down but then the Delta CFO saying they feel good about the routes, trying to keep shareholders happy I guess. I have been looking at a trip over later in the year and I can't see any drop in the flight cost and the hotels are just as expensive as ever.

HTCOne · 18-06-2025 12:04PM

I can't speak for loads factors, but previous record daily traffic levels for flights were exceeded more than once in the last week. It's busier than ever.

x567 · 18-06-2025 12:41PM

I did a US trip last week on a route that’s usually expensive and full both ways. Outbound had quite a few empty seats, but was still c.75% full; return was pretty much as usual and I was unable to get a seat on the earlier flight that day…

Chris_5339762 · 18-06-2025 02:19PM

Did DUB - DEN and DEN - LHR a week or so ago.

DUB - DEN was probably 80% full. DEN - LHR was rammed to the last seat.

Nolimits · 18-06-2025 04:32PM

Not exactly what you're looking for, but I'm flying with American Airlines in October, I'm flying premium economy so that's all I can see. 7 seats out of 24 are still free, which seems quite full to me.

16 out of 24 free on the return flight a week later.

bikeman1 · 18-06-2025 09:30PM

I flew twice recently to the West Coast. One to LAX and the other SFO since the whole landscape has changed.

80-100 empty seats on average per flight. This was before the school holidays. CBP was very quiet too. Saw the MSP going off while in the bar with about 80 pax on.

Macrophage 449 · 19-06-2025 12:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058416949/us-flights-load-factors

I flew on UA22 about a month ago. Business was full as was premimum economy, but economy was about 60% occupied.

Locker10a · 19-06-2025 04:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123558561#Comment_123558561

Both flights this past week have been over 80% full, on some days over 90%. I suppose summer travel is now In full affect

Dublinflyer · 20-06-2025 01:36PM

Thanks all, it's hard to know what impact it will have after the summer season. I heard a rumour that EI is going to review the Vegas flight and adjust the frequency later in the year when it returns. I have noticed the the LAS-DUB flight on the 1st Nov has disappeared and I would not think it's fully booked at this stage but you never know.