Out of every 100 seats on US airline flights in 2025, how many seats flew empty?
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18
US airlines left 18% of their seats empty in 2025. Some of those seats were held back on purpose, saved for last-minute travelers who pay several times the advance fare. In airline math, a flight that sells out weeks early just means tickets were priced too cheap.
US planes flew 18% empty in 2025. Some are kept empty on purpose, saved for last-minute flyers who pay several times more.
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics · checked Jun 2026