The number of people screened at US airport checkpoints is on track for its first annual decline since 2020, but major carriers say prioritizing higher fares matters more than filling seats. American's load factor fell to 83.4% in the third quarter from 86% a year earlier, while September fares rose more than 22% year over year as airlines pass fuel costs on to customers. Southwest's average third-quarter fare was $231.69, up nearly $50, even though its passenger count fell 3.2% to about 33.5 million. Since April, about 9.3 million fewer people have been screened than in the same period of 2025, a drop of less than 2%, and American, United, Delta and Southwest have all cut their 2026 profit forecasts. Bank of America said some customers of Spirit Airlines, which went out of business in early May, have likely stopped flying.
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