Some Flights Are as Low as $29 Right Now as Airlines Rush to Fill Seats Before the End of the Year

There are a record 260 million seats to fill by the end of the fourth quarter.

By Sam Silverman | Nov 13, 2023
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Key Takeaways

  • Airlines have more seats to fill due to increased flight capacity.
  • Flight prices are down by 13% from last year.

Flights are getting a whole lot cheaper as airlines rush to fill empty seats by the end of the year.

Airlines have a record 260 million seats to fill by the end of the fourth quarter, which is up by nearly 8% from last year, according to information obtained by from aviation data firm Cirium.

To hit their goal, some airlines are offering flights at low fares, including Southwest Airlines, which offered a sale of one-way fights from in the early morning and late evening starting at $29.

RELATED: These Are the Most Hated Airlines in the U.S., According to a New Report

Southwest’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ryan Green, told reporters at the Skift Aviation Forum that the airline is discounting flights and offering sales “a bit more than normal” due to the increased flight capacity, and thus the need to fill more seats, per CNBC.

From September to October 2023, airline capacity increased by 2.1%, according to , which is up 0.8% from 2019.

Apart from Southwest, Spirit is also offering flights for just $48.73, per CNBC.

Meanwhile, the cost of airline tickets is down by 13% from September 2022, according to for November 2023.

RELATED: Partial to the Window Seat? One Major U.S. Airline Has Good News for You.

In addition to Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, and Frontier Airlines have reported fare drops between 12% to 32% compared to the previous year.

Key Takeaways

  • Airlines have more seats to fill due to increased flight capacity.
  • Flight prices are down by 13% from last year.

Flights are getting a whole lot cheaper as airlines rush to fill empty seats by the end of the year.

Airlines have a record 260 million seats to fill by the end of the fourth quarter, which is up by nearly 8% from last year, according to information obtained by from aviation data firm Cirium.

To hit their goal, some airlines are offering flights at low fares, including Southwest Airlines, which offered a sale of one-way fights from in the early morning and late evening starting at $29.

RELATED: These Are the Most Hated Airlines in the U.S., According to a New Report

Southwest’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ryan Green, told reporters at the Skift Aviation Forum that the airline is discounting flights and offering sales “a bit more than normal” due to the increased flight capacity, and thus the need to fill more seats, per CNBC.

From September to October 2023, airline capacity increased by 2.1%, according to , which is up 0.8% from 2019.

Apart from Southwest, Spirit is also offering flights for just $48.73, per CNBC.

Meanwhile, the cost of airline tickets is down by 13% from September 2022, according to for November 2023.

RELATED: Partial to the Window Seat? One Major U.S. Airline Has Good News for You.

In addition to Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, and Frontier Airlines have reported fare drops between 12% to 32% compared to the previous year.

Sam Silverman • Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at Âé¶¹Éç Media. She specializes in search engine... Read more
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