[ad_1]
Our annual survey of journey sentiment holds just a few surprises in 2026.
When 2025 started, airways had been warning of a drop in bookings — particularly behind the aircraft. That led to profitability considerations or schedule reductions from main U.S. carriers. However in the long run, 2025 turned out to be a fairly good 12 months for airways and the journey business as an entire, regardless of a steep drop in worldwide guests to the U.S.
The variety of passengers that flew in 2025 (over 906 million) barely eclipsed 2024 totals, in keeping with Transportation Safety Administration knowledge.
And through the ultimate months of 2025, the spike in journey was extra notable: About 1.9% extra passengers handed via TSA checkpoints between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1 (the fourth quarter) than in 2024. That included an all-time document of three million-plus flyers on Nov. 30, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
To date this 12 months, the outlook has remained pretty optimistic. We have seen airways including fascinating, new routes, and two of the highest U.S. carriers have predicted a surge in income this 12 months.
Equally, latest polling commissioned by TPG from YouGov reveals little decline in journey sentiment. In truth, many Individuals plan to journey extra this 12 months, in keeping with our findings.
There are some regarding tendencies within the knowledge, too: The quantity of people that will journey much less and spend much less on that journey is ticking up 12 months over 12 months.
We even have some fascinating, new polling on elite standing to share with you — however let’s begin with journey sentiment.
Most Individuals are planning to journey the identical or greater than final 12 months
The brand new YouGov survey discovered that simply over half of Individuals (56%) plan to journey extra or the identical quantity in 2026 than they did up to now two years.
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day e-newsletter
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
Almost all (94%) of these planning to journey in 2026 (i.e., “vacationers”) intend to journey domestically, whereas 36% plan to journey internationally.
In truth, a few quarter of Individuals (24%) say they plan to journey extra in 2026 than they did up to now two years, whereas 32% plan to journey about the identical.
However it’s not all excellent news with regards to traveler sentiment.
Fewer individuals report they are going to journey this 12 months than final, and extra report they are going to spend much less on journey this 12 months.
13% of Individuals say they are going to journey lower than they did up to now few years, whereas 19% of vacationers say they are going to spend much less on journey this 12 months.
That is up a number of proportion factors since our final journey sentiment survey again in Might 2025. Do not forget that in Might of final 12 months, many customers had been very fearful in regards to the state of the economic system. So, it’s kind of regarding that fewer individuals are reporting they are going to journey now — positively one thing to observe because the 12 months rolls on.
The significance of elite standing
TPG and YouGov additionally received a pulse on elite standing, as many people at TPG debate the query, “Is elite standing value it anymore?”
In an period of fewer upgrades, longer improve lists, fewer perks, dearer mileage redemptions and common devaluations, it is a query we’re all grappling with. It additionally comes as airline standing has gotten more durable and dearer to earn.
We requested whether or not vacationers at present have elite standing with any airline (e.g., AAdvantage Gold within the American Airways AAdvantage program, Silver Medallion within the Delta SkyMiles program, Premium Silver within the United MileagePlus program, and many others.). A whopping 73% of vacationers reported having no airline elite standing, whereas solely 9% have some form of elite standing. I am keen to guess, although, that if we polled solely TPG readers, these numbers can be fairly completely different.
We additionally requested, “Fascinated about airline elite standing advantages, how, if in any respect, do you assume they’ve modified up to now two years?”
Of these surveyed, 31% of flyers with elite standing stated elite standing advantages have improved, whereas 59% stated they’ve stayed the identical or gotten worse. That is not what I anticipated, as the advantages of elite standing proceed to be watered down (fewer upgrades are given, mileage redemptions are dearer and so forth).
We additionally particularly requested in regards to the worth of factors and miles over time, which aligned higher with expectations. Solely 8% of all flyers stated the worth had elevated up to now few years; 25% stated the worth stayed the identical, and 18% stated it had dropped.
That is a warning signal for airways and banks that depend upon customers to maintain shopping for into the worth proposition of incomes factors and miles.
There may be some excellent news for 2026. The key airways have left their present incomes standing thresholds intact after elevating necessities over the previous a number of years. Delta Air Traces raised its Delta Medallion standing necessities by steep margins just a few years in the past, and United Airways raised its incomes necessities simply final 12 months.
Solely time will inform if this stays the case as we get additional into 2026.
Backside line
It is an enchanting time in journey, with few indicators of letup in demand. Our new TPG and YouGov polling finds that almost all Individuals plan to journey as a lot or much more than they did up to now few years. Nonetheless, there are some warnings within the knowledge, and you may guess we’ll be watching fastidiously for any indicators of a journey slowdown — and what that might imply for you as a traveler.
Associated studying:
The Factors Man commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the survey. All figures, except in any other case said, are from YouGov Plc. The full pattern measurement was 2,503 U.S. adults, amongst whom 1,728 plan to journey in 2026. Fieldwork was undertaken between Jan. 9 and 13. The survey was carried out on-line and meets rigorous high quality requirements. It gathered a nonprobability-based pattern and employed demographic quotas and weights to raised align the survey pattern with the broader U.S. inhabitants.
[ad_2]
