Delta's International Flights Are Already 75% Booked for Summer Travel

Delta Air Lines reported significant summer demand this week, noting international flights are already 75 percent booked for the summer.

The increased demand follows a record March in which consumer demand “was well ahead of pre-pandemic levels,” Delta president Glen Hauenstein said in an earnings call this week reviewed by Travel + Leisure. As a result, Delta is growing its international capacity this summer, and flying its largest-ever Transatlantic summer schedule (including new flights to London, increased service to Paris, and beyond).

“The hybrid workplace is blurring the lines between business and leisure trips, while the removal of change fees has increased customer flexibility, allowing them to book trips earlier,” Hauenstein said, adding, “On international, we are excited with the momentum we’re seeing and expect record revenues and profitability for the summer travel season. To meet increasing demand, we are growing our international seats by more than 20 percent in the June quarter compared to [the] prior year, and we already have about 75 percent of our bookings on hand."

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said 2023 was “off to a strong start” with “record advance summer bookings.”

This increase in demand is being seen across the industry, with a recent AAA report noting demand for international trips from the United States have increased more than 200 percent compared to last year. But with higher demand often comes higher prices, and that is the case this year with international flights expected to cost 30 percent more than 2022.

Still, it’s possible to save money on a big summer vacation by using websites like Hopper, Going, and Google Flights, which can track airfare prices and alert travelers when flights are discounted. Another money-saving tip is to consider flying into smaller airports (think: London Gatwick instead of Heathrow Airport). 

Additionally, some destinations are more in demand than others. For this summer, London is the most popular travel destination, according to data from Google Flights, followed by Cancun, Paris, Orlando, Rome, and New York City.