United Airlines Sees Huge Surge in Bookings To European Christmas Markets

It appears the “travel bubble” actually has not burst, with United Airlines reporting that it has seen a massive 30% surge in holiday season bookings to Christmas Markets in Europe compared to 2019. Let the good times roll for United and Delta…

United Airlines Reports Nearly 30% Surge In Bookings To European Christmas Market Destinations

United has shared that bookings to European destinations are up nearly 30% compared to 2019 and up almost 10% versus 2023, signaling a strong economy and that more Americans are opting to spend their money on experiences instead of objects.

United’s most popular European destinations during the holiday period include:

Brussels (BRU)
Frankfurt (FRA)
London (LHR)
Munich (MUC)
Paris (CDG)

But among its 60 nonstop flights each day from its U.S. hubs, United is also seeing strong demand for cities like Amsterdam, Berlin, Edinburgh, Geneva, and Zurich, all of which host Christmas markets.

In addition, with its joint-venture partnership with the Lufthansa Group, United is selling more tickets to nearly 100 additional European holiday market destinations like Cologne, Helsinki, Salzburg, and Strasbourg, all of which can be reached with a one-stop flight from United’s U.S. hubs.

There’s also a partnership with Austrian Airlines to Vienna and of course, many partners serve Dresden, which is considered to have the first true Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, originating in 1434.

The Strong Get Stronger

This is such an interesting season in the US aviation industry. While budget carriers like Spirit Airlines file for bankruptcy and the low-cost model is now severely questionable, carriers like Delta Air Lines and United seem to be thriving.

not only are people paying more for domestic travel on a full-service carrier, but the lucrative credit card details nad vast international route network have created a domino effect of success.

A demand of nearly 30% for winter travel is huge (assuming the yields have not been knocked down simply to fill airplanes) and bodes well for United’s continued international expansion.

CONCLUSION

According to a recent Deloitte survey, consumer spending on holiday experiences is expected to rise 16% this year, while spending on physical gifts remains flat. United is seeing this firsthand in a surge of holiday bookings to Europe. It appears that everything is lining up for United (and Delta) right now as other US carriers sturggle.

And, dear friends, I hope to be one of those travelers to a European Christmas Market, though I’ve got far more important things on my mind right now…stay tuned for that in December. It’s time for another duck trip and goose dinner, if you know what I mean…

> Read More: Nuremberg Christmas Market