6 airlines that treat putting butts in seats almost like a side-hustle
For some airlines, actual air fares contribute less than half of passenger revenue
It’s easy to assume that most airlines make their money from selling tickets to customers who want to fly somewhere. But that’s not always the case.
Some carriers, especially those that cater to budget-conscious travelers, make up for cheap fares with fees for everything from checking bags to picking your seat. Though some of them are trying to shift to a more traditional business model as demand softens, it’s still a big part of their business — sometimes the biggest part.
Click through to see which airlines make the biggest chunks of their passenger revenue from things other than fares.
No. 6: Sun Country Airlines
The Minnesota-based carrier made $920 million in passenger revenue in 2023, according to its most recent annual report. Of that money, $276 million came from “ancillary” streams. That’s equivalent to 30% of the category.
No. 5: Ryanair
The Irish group’s various carriers made €13.4 billion ($14.8 billion) in passenger revenue for the year ending March 2024, according to its most recent annual report. Of that money, €4.3 billion came from “ancillary” streams, which is equivalent to 32% of the category.
No. 4: Allegiant Air
The Nevada-based carrier made $2.3 billion in passenger revenue in 2023, according to its most recent annual report. Of that money, $1.1 billion came from “ancillary” streams — equivalent to 49% of the category.
No. 3: Spirit Airlines
The Florida-based carrier made $5.3 billion in passenger revenue in 2023, according to its most recent annual report. Of that money, $2.9 billion came from “non-fare” streams. That’s equivalent to 56% of the category.
No. 2: Easyjet
The England-based company’s various carriers made £5.2 billion ($6.7 billion) in passenger revenue in 2023, according to its most recent annual report. Of that money, £3 billion came from “ancillary” streams, equivalent to 57% of the category.
No. 1: Frontier Airlines
The Colorado-based carrier made $3.5 billion in passenger revenue in 2023, according to its most recent annual report. Of that money, $2.3 billion came from “non-fare” streams. That’s equivalent to 64% of the category.