Airlines Say Fliers Are Flocking Back, Despite Higher Ticket Prices

“We’re seeing a rise in demand that’s actually unparalleled,”

Delta Air Traces Inc.

President

Glen Hauenstein

stated at an investor convention Tuesday. “That surge couldn’t come at a greater time.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked fears about world vitality provides, pushing jet gas costs final week to their highest ranges since 2008. Oil costs have receded in latest days, and airline executives stated demand is robust sufficient that unstable gas prices received’t jeopardize their restoration.

For customers, meaning one factor: increased ticket costs.

Gas is usually airways’ second-biggest expense after labor, accounting for round 20% of their prices. That may bounce to 30% or extra when costs surge, in keeping with authorities figures. With a number of exceptions, most main U.S. airways not use futures contracts and different monetary devices to hedge in opposition to value swings, and purchase gas only a few weeks prematurely.

To cowl gas value will increase, airways sometimes attempt to enhance fares and lower much less worthwhile flying, which ends up in fewer flights and in flip, increased costs for vacationers. Some business analysts have questioned whether or not these strikes will work this time round, with price-sensitive leisure vacationers accounting for the lion’s share of fliers now, and amid a rebound that continues to be fragile and liable to sudden reversals.

However airline executives stated Tuesday they’re assured that the playbook nonetheless works. Vacationers are prepared to pay increased fares, executives stated, permitting carriers to boost fares to account for increased oil prices with out undermining demand.

“We are able to become profitable at oil costs of $100 a barrel or increased, and we’ll,”

American Airways Group Inc.

Chief Govt

Doug Parker

stated.

Main U.S. airways stated Tuesday that their revenues within the first quarter of 2022 will seemingly be on the excessive finish of what they’d anticipated in the beginning of the yr, or higher. Airline shares jumped Tuesday morning: Delta, American, and

United Airways Holdings Inc.

all gained greater than 7%.

Southwest Airways Co.

, which reiterated its expectation that it’s going to put up earnings after the primary quarter, rose 3.8%.

Delta received’t have hassle recapturing the extra $15 to $20 every approach for the typical ticket that it must make up for the upper gas prices—an quantity the airline believes its clients will likely be prepared to shoulder, Mr. Hauenstein stated.

“We’re very, very assured of our potential to recapture over 100% of the gas value run up within the second quarter and thru in all probability the top of the summer time,” he stated Tuesday.

Airways together with United and American stated they might trim again some flying. United stated it has lowered its flying plans and now expects to fly barely much less this yr than in 2019. American stated it now expects its capability to be down 10% to 12% from 2019 ranges within the first quarter, in contrast with its earlier expectation of an 8% to 10% discount.

“At this level there is no such thing as a demand destruction, the truth is it’s the alternative,” stated

Andrew Nocella,

United’s chief business officer. The airline is capturing a “massive share” of the run-up in oil costs, he stated—after leaving many seats unsold for the approaching summer time, United is now capable of promote them at increased costs.

Southwest, one of many few carriers that hedges in opposition to gas value will increase, stated it raised fares throughout its community on Feb. 1.

“The pricing surroundings has been wholesome as demand has been returning following the Omicron variant,”

Tammy Romo,

Southwest’s chief monetary officer, stated Tuesday.

Rising ticket costs haven’t to this point dented demand, which has been hitting new pandemic-era milestones. In February, home ticket bookings and income rose above 2019 ranges for the primary time since March 2020, in keeping with the Adobe Digital Economic system Index. Every day journey spending on Chase bank cards has eclipsed 2019 ranges for the primary time since late January 2020,

JPMorgan Chase

& Co. analysts stated this month. Delta and American each stated they logged document gross sales days final week.

Airways stated they’re additionally seeing encouraging indicators for enterprise journey, a profitable sector that has been slower to get well as corporations have delayed bringing staff again to workplaces. Company journey bookings have reached 70% of 2019 ranges, United stated, the very best ranges because the begin of the pandemic.

Some airline executives and business observers have raised issues that hovering gasoline costs on the pump and rising costs for meals and different providers may weaken the financial system, battering customers and undermining their urge for food to spend on journey.

JetBlue Airways Corp.

Chief Govt

Robin Hayes

stated Tuesday that pent-up journey demand may maintain clients flying by means of the summer time, however cautioned that won’t final.

“I believe we’ve to be slightly bit cautious within the second half of the yr—what do we predict the financial system goes to do?”

Write to Alison Sider at alison.sider@wsj.com