https://thriftytraveler.com/news/airlines/airlines-charging-solo-travelers-higher-fares/ fbpx Skip to content Ad Disclosure Thrifty Traveler: Travel More For Less Travel More For Less Thrifty Traveler: Travel More For Less Travel More For Less Login Settings * Beginner's Guide * Flight Deals * Flight Deals * Top Credit Cards * Podcasts * News Latest View All four american airlines jets parked at gates Exclusive: US Airlines Are Quietly Hitting Solo & Biz Travelers with Higher Fares IHG Premier and Traveler CardsIHG Premier and Traveler Cards Get 5 Free Nights (or 120k Points) With an IHG Credit Card! Airlines View All [svg][United_JetBlue] Introducing Blue Sky: JetBlue & United's Surprising New Partnership blue seats on a delta planeblue seats on a delta plane New Delta Pricing Quirk Charges Solo & Business Travelers More Travel News View All three people walking by a row of CLEAR kiosks against a blue wall three people walking by a row of CLEAR kiosks against a blue wall CLEAR is Raising Prices (Once Again) for Members & Families real id signage as passengers walk into security queue at airport real id signage as passengers walk into security queue at airport Day 1 Dispatches: Real ID is Here ... With Lax Enforcement (For Now) * Points & Miles Points & Card News View All American Express Platinum, American Express Gold, Hilton Aspire, and Delta Reserve credit cards on notepad with laptop and coffee. American Express Platinum, American Express Gold, Hilton Aspire, and Delta Reserve credit cards on notepad with laptop and coffee. Amex's Long Game: The Strategy Behind Its Generous Bonus Timeline Amex Gold with Passport, Headphones, USB Drive, and Push PinsAmex Gold with Passport, Headphones, USB Drive, and Push Pins Earn up to 90K Points (or Even 100K!) with New Amex Gold Referral Offer Banks American ExpressAmerican Express American Express ChaseChase Chase Capital OneCapital One Capital One All BanksAll Banks All Banks The shortcut to finding your next travel card The shortcut to finding your next travel card Get card recommendations in minutes. No personal info required. Get Recommendations Credit Card Stories The Master List of Credit Card Transfer Partners Current Transfer Bonuses The Best Credit Cards to Get Started with Travel Rewards The Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Credit Cards, Points & Miles * Travel Guides Airline Guides Hotel Guides Points Guides Travel Guides Reviews Airline & Flight Reviews Lounge Reviews Credit Card Reviews Hotel Reviews Deals Airline & Flight Deals Credit Card Deals Hotel Deals Points & Miles Deals Get Free Flight Alerts Must Reads How to Find Cheap Flights The Flight First Rule: The #1 Way to Save on Airfare Google Flights: How to Find Cheap Flights Like a Pro The Best Day to Book a Flight & Buy Airfare Isn't What You Think... Save on your next trip with daily cheap travel news & tips delivered to your inbox. [ ] Subscribe Success Loading... Thanks for subscribing to The Daily Beat! Something went wrong. Please try again. Ad Disclosure Login Settings Follow Us [ ] Search Popular Topics How to Use Google Flights to Find Cheap Flights The 11 Best Credit Card Offers for Travelers in May 2025 How to Find & Book the Cheapest Flight Every Time The Best Day to Book Flights Isn't What You Think... How Delta (Repeatedly) Bungled its Worst Meltdown Ever Articles News Airlines four american airlines jets parked at gates Exclusive: US Airlines Are Quietly Hitting Solo & Biz Travelers with Higher Fares May 29, 2025 Kyle PotterKyle Potter Kyle Potter Author Kyle PotterKyle Potter Kyle Potter Executive Editor Read More Kyle Potter is the executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, covering everything from aviation news to travel deals to in-depth guides on using airline miles. A professional journalist, he joined the comp... Jackson Newman Editor Jackson NewmanJackson Newman Jackson Newman Senior Editor Read More Jackson Newman is our Senior Editor at Thrifty Traveler, where he writes and edits news articles, guides, and other stories. He joined Thrifty Traveler in April 2023 after more than a decade working i... Some links in this post come from our advertiser or affiliate partners, which may pay us if you click, purchase, or apply. But our opinions are our own: We only recommend products and services we believe in. Check out our full Advertising Disclosure. Yesterday, we discovered that Delta was charging solo and business travelers higher fares per ticket than when booking for two or more passengers. But it turns out that pricing quirk goes far beyond just Delta. Since we published that story, we've searched through hundreds of fares and found plenty of examples that prove it: All three of the country's largest carriers (American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta) are penalizing solo travelers with higher ticket prices than you can book when traveling with a group - sometimes, significantly higher. Our Thrifty Traveler Premium team of flight deal analysts search hundreds of routes each day and confirms it's not exactly widespread - you won't see it on each and every route - but it's undeniable. And while it's unclear how long this pricing tactic has been utilized, it doesn't really matter: Whether it's been just days, months, or even years, it's something that few everyday travelers may realize is happening ... or how much it might be costing them. For example, a search for one passenger flying United from its Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) hub to nearby Peoria (PIA) next month yields a $269 one-way fare. united flight from chicago to peoria for $269 But bump that up to two (or three or even four) passengers, and the price drops by almost a third: Just $181 apiece for that exact same standard economy ticket. Plus, a United basic economy fare suddenly appears that's even cheaper - something that wasn't even an option when searching for just one passenger. united flights from chicago to peoria for $151united flights from chicago to peoria for $151 You can see in the fine print below each fare exactly how United is doing this: by opening up different fare buckets based upon how many passengers you're booking for. When searching for one passenger, the lowest economy price is a Q economy fare - United's "discount coach" fare. But by searching for multiple travelers, you can pull in (even cheaper) S class fares, which United considers a "deep discount coach" ticket. And much like Delta, this isn't a glitch. United spells it all out in the fare rules for these cheaper tickets, which are publicly accessible using an advanced airfare search engine like ITA Matrix. It plainly states: "Must be accompanied on all sectors in same compartment by at least 1 adult 15 or older." fare rules for united flight from chicago to peoriafare rules for united flight from chicago to peoria There's no such "accompaniment restriction" on United's higher-priced single traveler fares. Whether you'll run into pricier fares searching for one passenger instead of two is hit-or-miss, at least for now. So far, we've seen this pricing dynamic mainly on one-way domestic tickets - not roundtrip fares or long-haul international routes. And we haven't seen it on other major U.S. carriers like Alaska, JetBlue, or Southwest. Airlines are notoriously secretive about the inner workings of how they price their fares and why. Case in point: No one from American, Delta, or United responded to requests for comment from Thrifty Traveler on this pricing strategy. In this case, the rationale for charging solo travelers more is fairly clear: It's just another way for airlines to continue "segmenting" their customers, charging business travelers paying with a corporate card more while offering a better deal to families on the exact same flight. And it's even more egregious on this American Airlines flight from Charlotte (CLT) to Fort Myers (RSW) this fall. Traveling solo, you'll pay at least $422 fare for this one-way flight in economy on Oct. 13. american airlines flight from charlotte to fort myers for $422 american airlines flight from charlotte to fort myers for $422 But by searching for two passengers, the ticket cost drops to just $266 per person - and, again, even cheaper if you book an American basic economy fare. american airlines flights from charlotte to fort myers for two american airlines flights from charlotte to fort myers for two One last example shows airlines know what their competitors are up to. Searching for one-way flights from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Lexington (LEX) in Kentucky, Google Flights shows you can book either American or United for $214. google flights screenshot of flights from chicago to lexingtongoogle flights screenshot of flights from chicago to lexington Yet the total price for two passengers is $215, or just $108 per passenger. Importantly, Google Flights always displays the total price for all passengers - not the cost per ticket. And while that cheapest fare is a basic economy ticket on both carriers, standard economy fares are still considerably cheaper when booking for two instead of just one. chicago to lexington flights for two passengerschicago to lexington flights for two passengers What are Airlines Up To? Whenever this pricing strategy began, this is a massive change in how airlines set prices - and one that will likely catch many travelers off guard. Unlike shopping at retail stores or Costco, bulk discounts are unusual for airlines - at least not just for booking just two passengers instead of one. And these higher fares for one passenger are the opposite of what we typically see, where travelers booking for two passengers or more wind up getting charged more per person than a single passenger. That comes down to the mechanics of how airlines actually sell tickets: Carriers aren't just selling economy, extra legroom, and first class tickets but an alphabet soup of different fare classes, each at a different price. If there's only one fare available at the cheapest $118, searching for two would only yield fares at a higher, $199 price point. This is a complete reversal. But why? Well, airlines aren't talking. None of them responded to requests for comment. But that doesn't mean we don't know their motivation here. It's all about "segmentation." Airlines are always trying cater to different kinds of customers at once: money-conscious budget travelers, families going on vacations or visiting relatives, wealthy retirees, business travelers, and more. And each one is willing to click that "purchase" button at a different price. That's why basic economy exists - to compete with budget airlines for the cheapest consumers while selling better tickets at a higher fare. It's why most airlines charge higher prices in the final two or three weeks before departure. And we're guessing it's why the big three U.S. airlines are apparently charging some solo flyers more, too: They're more likely to be business travelers flying on their employer's dime ... and thus less likely to care about paying another $80 or more. Of course, not all travelers booking solo tickets are charging flights to a corporate card. There are flyers heading out to attend to a family emergency. Friends booking flights separately. Spouses going on a trip who leave a day or two after one another. And many, many more. Bottom Line The nation's three largest airlines have begun charging some solo travelers higher fares than groups of two travelers or more. It's not a widespread phenomenon - currently, we're only seeing it on a handful of one-way domestic flights. And it's unclear whether whether this began just recently or weeks, even months ago. Maybe airlines are testing this new pricing tactic out on a smaller scale before expanding. We don't know. But we can say one thing for sure: Solo travelers - whether they're flying on a corporate account or not - will be the ones who pay the price. Stop Overpaying for Travel! Get our daily email for the latest in travel, flight deals, and how to save on your next trip. [ ] Join Now Kyle PotterKyle Potter Kyle Potter Kyle Potter is the executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, covering everything from aviation news to travel deals to in-depth guides on using airline miles. A professional journalist, he joined the company in November 2018 after five years covering state and national politics for T... Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. Related Posts a frontier airlines airplane flying in the skya frontier airlines airplane flying in the sky Frontier Announces First Class Seats, Companion Passes are Coming in 2025 December 3, 2024 delta first class cabin seatingdelta first class cabin seating Delta Upgrade Certificates are Now Redeemable Online! December 14, 2022 Ethiopian Airlines CrashEthiopian Airlines Crash Ethiopian Airlines Crash Kills 157, Sparking Concerns About Boeing 737 MAX March 11, 2019 Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Comment * [ ] Name * [ ] Email * [ ] [ ] Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [Post Comment] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] D[ ] 1 Response 1. [svg][11a] Andrew says: May 29, 2025 at 3:02 pm If they're trying to segment between business and leisure travelers, why does the accompanying passenger have to be an adult? Why wouldn't a child trigger the same cheaper fare? Families traveling for leisure are some of the *most* price-sensitive customers, because they have to buy so many tickets, right? Reply [Daily-Beat-Banner-e1671047114694] The shortcut to finding your next travel card Get card recommendations in minutes. No personal info required. Get Recommendations Get cheap travel tips to your inbox! [ ] Subscribe Success Loading... Get our daily email for the latest in travel, flight deals, and how to save on your next trip. Thanks for subscribing to The Daily Beat! Something went wrong. Please try again. * About * Contact Us * Google Flights * Premium * Login * Jobs Follow Us Disclaimer: Thrifty Traveler and its website, thriftytraveler.com, strives to keep all information up to date and accurate. The information here may differ from what you see on a financial institution, service provider, or specific product site. We're not investment advisers, financial planners, or legal professionals - you shouldn't rely on us for expert, individual financial guidance. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links on our site come from our advertiser or affiliate partners, like credit card companies or travel services and products, which may pay us if you click, purchase, or apply. But our opinions are our own: We only recommend products and services we believe in. Check out our full Advertising Disclosure. Editorial Disclosure: We pride ourselves on our independence. The content you see has not been provided, paid for, or reviewed by banks, credit card companies, airlines, hotel chains, or other travel companies. Any opinions expressed here are ours - and ours alone. (c) 2025 Thrifty Traveler. All Rights Reserved. * Disclosures * Privacy Policy * Terms of Use * Editorial Guidelines