United Airlines Spring Break Travel Forecast + Travel Trends | News

United expects more than 27 million customers during spring break (between March 6 and April 27) – this will be the most passengers the airline has ever flown during spring break.
United expects to average approximately 520,000 passengers per day and plans to operate approximately 4,900 daily flights.
United is ready – through the first two months of the year, United has had the most on-time departures of any U.S. airline; the airline also ended the month of February with the most on-time departures of any U.S. airline.

Travel trends:
United surveyed more than 2,000 travelers and analyzed booking data to reveal how Americans feel about spring break this year:
· After a record cold winter in many parts of the country, travelers are longing for sunshine: More than 52%* of spring break travelers plan to fly to a beach destination.
o Beach cities in Florida are benefiting from this trend – bookings on United to Tampa and Fort Myers are up 25% compared to last year, and bookings to Fort Lauderdale are up 15%.
o United’s top spring break destinations in the US are Orlando, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Phoenix and Fort Lauderdale.
· Gen Z and millennial travelers plan to explore a new place, while Gen X and baby boomers prefer the comfort of a place they’ve already visited.
o More than half of Gen Z (55%)* and Millennial travelers (64%)* plan to visit a place they’ve never been during spring break this year, while 60%* of Gen X and 74%* of Baby Boomers plan to revisit a familiar favorite.
· Travelers worry about making tight connections, navigating unfamiliar airports and checking luggage – but United’s app has their backs.
o 75%* of people say navigating an airport they’ve never been to before is stressful; United’s app has a terminal guide and interactive maps with customized turn-by-turn directions. It even calculates connection time and tells passengers exactly how long it will take to walk between their gates and provides tips for longer layovers.
o More than 70%* of people said they worry about making a close connection; United’s ConnectionSaver technology – a leading AI-powered tool that has helped more than 122,000 travelers make close connections this year alone by automatically identifying flights that can be held for connecting customers – without delaying the on-time arrival of those customers who have already boarded.
o Nearly 50%* of people say they find checking a bag stressful; United’s quick-release bag delivery service streamlines the process. Travelers can easily check in their bag in the United app or on United.com during check-in and then drop off their bag at an airport bag drop.
· Parents say seatback screens and Wi-Fi are key to keeping kids happy on board
o Nearly two-thirds of travelers* prefer to spend time in-flight watching TV shows or movies on the seat-back screen, and two-thirds of travelers* also say that in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity is key to keeping their kids happy on a plane.
o United has more than 155,000 seatback screens in its fleet and now offers Starlink Wi-Fi on more than 25% of its daily flights.
*According to a survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Savanta on behalf of United Airlines.