Summary
- Thanksgiving travel within the US is predicted to be extremely busy, with 3.07 million seats and 22,033 flights available on November 26, surpassing peak summer days.
- JetBlue Airways is reducing its seat availability and flights this Thanksgiving season, with an 8% reduction in flights and a 9% reduction in seats in comparison with last 12 months.
- Other airlines, reminiscent of Avelo Airlines and Breeze, are experiencing double-digit growth in seats offered, while Southwest, American, Delta, and United Airlines are also increasing the variety of seats available.
The busiest holiday of the 12 months is nearly upon us in the USA. Thanksgiving travel data is out now, and we will expect a whopping 3.07 million seats available and 22,033 flights on Sunday, November 26 this 12 months, based on data from Cirium. This number is even greater than the height July days throughout the summer. Nonetheless, one major carrier, JetBlue Airways, will offer fewer seats this holiday season in comparison with last 12 months’s.
JetBlue is reducing its Thanksgiving schedule
JetBlue Airways has been making significant changes to its route network in the previous few weeks. A number of days ago, we reported the corporate is reducing several routes, mainly impacting cities within the Northeast for early next 12 months.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying.
Nonetheless, the corporate can also be reducing the seat availability on domestic routes to be operated throughout the Thanksgiving season. JetBlue is scheduling 3,445 flights and offering 506,917 seats for the dates between November 22 and 26, 2023. Last 12 months’s Thanksgiving season (November 23-27), JetBlue offered 3,731 flights and 553,635 seats. That’s an 8% and 9% reduction, respectively, in comparison with last 12 months. Throughout 2023, JetBlue has been facing on-and-off cancelation sprees. For example, in April, it had over 2,000 flight cancelations and 10,000 delays as a result of weather and staffing shortages.
Which routes are being reduced?
It is a comparison of JetBlue’s most important routes when it comes to flights and seats within the Thanksgiving season last 12 months versus this 12 months’s:
Route | 2022 flights & seats | 2023 flights & seats | Comparison |
JFK-LAX | 55 (8,754) | 44 (7,000) | -20% (-20%) |
MCO-BOS | 39 (7,022) | 38 (5,960) | -2.5% (-15%) |
FLL-JFK | 34 (6,458) | 31 (5,516) | -9% (-15%) |
JFK-MCO | 39 (6,142) | 38 (5,728) | -2.5 (-7%) |
EWR-MCO | 39 (6,102) | 26 (3,730) | -33% (-39%) |
JFK-SJU | 28 (5,334) | 33 (6,258) | +17% (+17%) |
MCO-SJU | 30 (5,202) | 37 (6,336) | +23% (+22%) |
BOS-DCA | 51 (5,100) | 39 (3,900) | -23.5% (-23.5%) |
LGA-MCO | 29 (5,078) | 30 (4,752) | +3.4% (-6%) |
FLL-LGA | 29 (4,698) | 26 (4,164) | -10% (-11%) |
As it could be seen within the table, only two routes of last 12 months’s top ten had a year-on-year frequency and capability increase (each serving San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Latest York and Orlando).
How are other airlines planning their upcoming US domestic Thanksgiving schedules?
Thirteen US carriers plan to supply 13.41 million seats between November 22 and 26, 2023. Some have double-digit growths when it comes to seats offered in comparison with last 12 months, reminiscent of Avelo Airlines (57%) and Breeze (80%).
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying.
Southwest Airlines plans to supply the most important amount of seats this Thanksgiving season from the entire airline bunch, with 3.18 million seats available (a rise of 14% versus last 12 months). American Airlines and Delta Air Lines will each surpass the 2 million seats available mark, with 2.67 million and a pair of.53 million seats, respectively, increasing by 4% and 6% versus last 12 months’s Thanksgiving season.
United Airlines is the ultimate airline to supply over a million seats this coming holiday season. The corporate will offer 1.96 million seats throughout the period (a 4% increase year-over-year).
Are you planning to travel throughout the Thanksgiving holidays? Which airline are you flying with? Tell us within the comments below.