United Airlines is expecting its busiest spring break ever, with more than 24 million passengers expected to fly on the carrier between March 10 and April 27, 2025.
Spring Break Bonanza For United Airlines, With Record Traffic Expected in 2025
United shared some interesting stats and figures with Live And Let’s Fly that breaks down where the demand lies. Let’s take a look:
- The 24 million passengers expected to fly with United between March 10 – April 27 represents a 5% increase over the same period in 2024
- United will operate more than 4,500 flights per day on average during this period
- The week of March 10th will be the busiest with more than 500,000 people expected to fly United every day
- As United says, “This is the equivalent of more than the entire population of Miami getting on a plane every day.” (hopefully not like this couple...)
- United’s top three spring break destinations include:
- Orlando, Florida (MCO)
- Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS)
- Cancun, Mexico (CUN)
- These three were also at the top in 2024
- But an increase in Spring Breakers are picking snow instead of sun this year
- United is seeing a more than 20% increase in bookings to Bishop/Mammoth, California and a 10% increase to Vail and Steamboat, Colorado (compared to 2024)
- International bookings are up 8% compared to last year
- Behind Cancun, London (LHR) and Frankfurt (FRA) are the top international destinations
- United attributes this to connection options on Lufthansa from Frankfurt to other cities in Europe
- Behind Cancun, London (LHR) and Frankfurt (FRA) are the top international destinations
- Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Cancun, Mexico are on the two days leading up to Coachella (April 9 and 10, 2025 versus April 10 and 11, 2024)
- Gen Z is heading for the beach with Cancun, Orlando, and Honolulu (HNL) among the age group’s top destinations
Will It Last?
Airline stocks have had a rough week due to tariff concerns and I cannot be the only one wondering whether President Trump’s pivot away from Europe and toward Russia will result in dampened demand for European travel this summer, particularly with trips originating in Europe.
Anecdotally, we’ve had clients at Award Expert cancel trips to the USA over President Trump’s actions toward Ukraine and I do wonder whether that will depress the rosy transatlantic projections at United and other US carriers.
Whatever summer may look like, it does appear that spring break will be very solid…
CONCLUSION
United expects record-breaking spring break travel this year, with the top destinations again including Orlando,
Las Vegas, and Cancun. But more folks are choosing snow over sun this year and European bookings have been healthy too. With economic tradewinds and political uncertainty, I do wonder whether this surge in travel will continue unabated.
“ Anecdotally, we’ve had clients at Award Expert cancel trips to the USA over President Trump’s actions toward Ukraine and I do wonder whether that will depress the rosy transatlantic projections at United and other US carriers”
So some of your negativity towards Trump is based on his decisions hurting your wallet. Certainly fair and understandable but remember what John F Kennedy said when the Democratic Party wasn’t all about handouts and supporting freaks, but was for the working class.
Dave, I usually do pretty well in recessions…as travel becomes cheaper and there are more deals to be had. Recessions do not hurt my rich clients. None of my animosity toward Trump is related to my consulting business. But yes, I believe in JFK’s “ask not” speech, which is why I don’t support Trump’s tariffs, Ukraine policy, tax cuts, blind cuts to the federal bureaucracy, and other moves that will implode the economy. America leads and the economy grows when we are a force for democratic norms around the world and when we embrace free trade and innovation.
That’s so funny that they had to clarify “ppl aren’t actually going to Frankfurt itself, they’re just connecting to Lufthansa flights elsewhere” LOL
And Frankfurt is such a beautiful city…a destination in itself.
I’m predicting that international travel is going to be gutted in the coming months and years. Why would anyone want to travel to the U.S. now from Europe as an example, or most certainly Canada? Further, Americans will quickly learn that they in turn are not very welcome anywhere in the world.
So you think that Europeans will paint all Americans with the same brush when only a third of the American population voted for a failed businessman who assaults women and worships the leader of an enemy nation? Only 31.78 percent of Americans voted for Trump. 30.84 voted for Harris. 1.06 percent voted third party. 36.33 percent did not vote. Add it up! More Americans voted for someone other than the man who pardoned thugs who beat, pepper sprayed, and assaulted police officers during the attack on our country’s Democracy.
Wow Joe, you must be physically and emotionally drained after that rant. So much perspiration that your shirt is probably turning pink from the dye running out of your hair.
I’ll be in Yurop in 3 weeks and I’ll let you know if rampant xenophobia against Americans is present (I have doubts, they love our tips)
In my day, we DROVE to Florida…and no one had ever heard of Cancun.
Back then, students didn’t had the $460 (1978) to fly down to Florida which is like $2,338 today.
Gen X, Y & Z never had it soooo good!!!
If Gen Z is flying to Orlando to go to the beach, they may want to consider taking a geography class before the Dept. of Education gets gutted. Jokes aside, it surprises me that Gen Z gets a call out for Orlando. If you don’t have kids or aren’t attending a convention, why exactly would you be going there?