• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch
Air Travel

This Is How Many Travelers Will Fly This Labor Day Weekend

By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 17, 2016, 10:19 AM ET
As Long Lines In Airports Rise, TSA Struggles To Cut Waiting Times
Photograph by Scott Olson — Getty Images
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

If you’re planning on flying this Labor Day weekend, be prepared to join the projected 15.6 million others doing the same.

A recent report from Airlines for America (A4A), a trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, predicts that 15.6 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines over this year’s Labor Day weekend, representing a 4% increase from 2015.

The organization says that it expects 2.3 million air travelers per day from August 31 through Sept. 6, or about 82,000 more travelers per day from the same period last year.

To accommodate the increase, airlines will offer about 2.5 million seats per day, an increase of more than 98,000 from Labor Day weekend last year. Sept. 2 and Sept. 1 are expected to be the busiest days, respectively.

The organization says that airline fares were down about 5% in 2015 and are down 6% so far this year. Cheaper fares make air travel more affordable, resulting in the expected increase for this year’s holiday weekend.

The ten leading U.S. airlines have seen have collectively reported a pre-tax profit of about $12 billion, translating to a profit margin of 15.5%, or 15.5 cents on every dollar of revenue, A4A reports. This is up from last year’s $11.3 billion. The year-over-year improvement is the result of a 1.9% decline in airline operating expenses, as falling fuel prices make up for increased labor, aircraft, and airport costs, the organization reports.

In the first half of 2016, these 10 airlines—Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, United and Virgin America—have collectively reinvested $9 billion, or $1.5 billion per month, in an attempt to enhance the customer experience. Although this has primarily been through the acquisition of new aircraft, the airlines have also made moves to improve check in areas and gate amenities.

But one area of air travel that has long been in need of improvement is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

In May, Peter Neffenger, the head of TSA, said that a shortage of staff combined with a surge in air travel has resulted in chaos for the agency, pushing airport wait times over two hours in places like Chicago. But after the agency was granted approval to put $34 million toward paying extra overtime and hiring 768 new staff by June, TSA reported that long lines at the airport were starting to improve. Adding more lanes and staff during peak periods has been a major facet of the change. Improvements were seen over Memorial Day weekend of this year when TSA reported 93% of people waited less than 15 minutes in regular security lines.

About the Author
By Madeline Farber
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.