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Airlines' pricing shows mixed impact on solo passenger fares

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Airlines' pricing shows mixed impact on solo passenger fares
Research
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Emily Thompson Credit cards editor | The Points Guy

Airlines are known for their complex pricing strategies aimed at maximizing profits. These include charging more for last-minute bookings and dynamically pricing seats based on demand. Historically, fares without a weekend or Saturday stopover were priced higher, but this trend has eased over time. Airlines continue to focus on extracting more money from business travelers who typically have larger budgets.

Leisure travelers are also spending more, particularly on premium products like extra-legroom or first-class seats. Delta Air Lines reports selling over three-quarters of its first-class seats.

A new trend has emerged where some airlines charge solo passengers more than those booking multiple seats. Thrifty Traveler discovered this trend last month, and further investigation revealed similar instances where one-way flights were priced higher for solo travelers compared to multipassenger bookings.

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To explore this issue further, Points Path and The Points Guy analyzed data from over 3,800 flights on a randomly selected day (July 18). They examined popular domestic routes in the U.S., including transcontinental routes such as New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as shorter routes like Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Airlines included in the study were Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines.

The analysis found that out of 3,817 route combinations, only 271 showed a price discrepancy where solo passengers paid more. For example, an American Airlines flight from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Charlotte Douglas International Airport cost $473 for one ticket versus $338 each when booked with another person.

Interestingly, in 235 cases, solo travelers paid less than two travelers booking together. On a flight from Philadelphia International Airport to Orlando International Airport with American Airlines, couples paid about $68 more per ticket than solo travelers.

Most searches indicated identical fares for solo travelers and couples. A trip from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Denver International Airport cost $216 per seat regardless of whether it was booked by a single traveler or a couple.

Delta informed TPG's Senior Aviation Reporter Sean Cudahy that such pricing tactics are not new but declined further comment. American and United were contacted for comments but have yet to respond.

In conclusion, while there is evidence that airlines sometimes charge solo passengers more than couples on certain flights, the opposite can also occur. In most cases, prices remain consistent between single and pair bookings. Travelers should compare prices for both scenarios when booking tickets as it may result in savings by making separate reservations for parties of two.

If faced with higher prices when booking alone, contacting the airline might yield a lower fare similar to what is offered for two-seat bookings.

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