Travelers navigate security lines at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Terminal 1 on March 23, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Stephen Maturen | Getty Images
Fewer people are flying this year, but with airfare this high and climbing, airline executives say that’s just fine.
The number of people screened at U.S. checkpoints is on track for its first annual decline since 2020. Major U.S. carriers have said capturing higher fares is more important than fully filling their planes or flying record numbers of travelers.
“We’re actively prioritizing yield versus load factor and really happy as we see it. It fits right in with the premium investments that we’re making,” American Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper said on the company’s earnings call Thursday.
American’s load factor, a gauge of how full planes are flying, fell to 83.4% in the third quarter from 86% in the same quarter of 2025.
Fares keep climbing
The price of…
