Airlines for America (A4A), projects 45 million customers will fly on U.S. airlines during the 2014-2015 Winter Holiday Travel Season.
During the 19-day period from Wednesday, December 17 through Sunday, January 4, an increase of approximately 2 percent or 47,000 daily travelers are expected. Last year, 44 million customers were estimated to have traveled by air.
To accommodate the increased demand for air travel, airlines are adding seats to the market, principally through the use of larger aircraft. Planes are projected to be 80 percent to 90 percent full over the winter holiday period, with the busiest travel day expected to be Friday, Dec. 19. The lightest travel days are expected to be Wednesday, Dec. 24; Thursday, Dec. 25; Wednesday, Dec. 31; and Thursday, Jan. 1. Passenger volumes are expected to range from 2 million to 2.5 million during the 19-day period, an increase of approximately 10 percent over the average day in 2014.
