The air travel storylines we’ll be watching in 2026

2025 is a busy, eventful and sometimes sobering year for air travel.

We witnessed eight of the 10 busiest days ever for U.S. airports, including a single-day record set after Thanksgiving, as consumers continued to pour money (and points) into travel at a record pace.

That’s despite a rollercoaster year for economic sentiment, not to mention a slew of worrying aviation headlines, including a deadly crash in January, massive delays in Newark in May and a severe shortage of air traffic controllers during the longest government shutdown in history.

As all this unfolds, the end of Southwest’s long-standing “baggage-free fly” policy has drawn attention. We’ve seen Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines launch new airline loyalty programs. Delta Air Lines once again topped the TPG Best Airlines report.

One of America’s best-known budget airlines remains in financial turmoil, a situation that ranks high on our list of the most noteworthy air travel stories of 2026.

Best Airline Report: Delta tops TPG rankings for 7th consecutive year

All eyes are on Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines is starting 2026 the same way it started 2025: in the midst of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

But this time, the situation seems to be more serious.

The Florida-based ultra-low-cost carrier, known for its large, bright yellow aircraft, has been unable to escape financial troubles in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Late last summer, Spirit executives raised questions about the company’s future, and Wall Street analysts did the same.

All eyes will be on the aircraft carrier in the coming weeks and months.

Will it eventually merge with top budget rival Frontier Airlines? Will Spirit, as we know it, appear this time next year? Time will tell.

But even travelers who have never flown on Spirit should be wary of caution. After all, the downward pressure airlines put on fares ultimately affects the price all passengers pay when they book a flight.

Spirit Airlines bankruptcy: What consumers should know when booking flights=

Related: The best time to book the cheapest flights

Southwest Airlines’ biggest changes coming this month

For 18 months, we’ve been talking about the changes Southwest is making, including the introduction of a $35 checked bag fee last spring that drew the ire of loyal customers.

But the biggest change finally arrives this month.

On January 27, the airline will implement controversial changes to designated seating, ending a half-century of first-come, first-served policy.

The move will also mean the end of the single-row boarding process in favor of an eight-group boarding process that looks… well, like that of almost every other major airline.

But it’s also worth seeing Others Southwest will achieve this goal by 2026.

The airline has been hesitant to add other once-unthinkable offerings, such as first-class seats, long-haul flights and lounges (the latter of which appears to be in the pipeline).

CEO Bob Jordan views these additions as a “2026 issue.”

The year 2026 has arrived.

Read more: A real Southwest reboot is coming — and it could be just the beginning

Premium wave takes center stage

Over the past few years, airlines have committed themselves to providing travelers with a premium experience—from large legacy carriers to budget carriers and everything in between.

In 2026, we will see many high-end products hitting the market in large numbers.

This year, United Airlines is expected to launch new Polaris products and the ultra-luxurious Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

American launched its next-generation flagship suite on several aircraft last year, and the new business-class product will become a fixture on more of the airline’s aircraft as it continues to introduce new aircraft and update older ones.

The airline also promised a “constant stream” of airport lounge news.

Also launching this year:

TPG 2026 Travel Trends Report: The gap between premium and cheap experiences is widening

Focus on the “Basics”

I think we’ll be talking about “basics” a lot this year.

Ahead of the holidays, American Airlines made customer-unfriendly changes to its basic economic policies.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have hinted at increasing “basic business class” fares. Heck, Delta has started offering “basic” versions of its “comfort” tickets with more legroom.

Delta Air Lines Now Selling ‘Comfort Basic’ Tickets: What to Know Before You Book

Don’t be surprised if you see more airlines tightening rules for basic economy fares in 2026, or introducing new unbundled fare options.

Exciting new routes coming soon

At TPG we’re excited to see exciting new routes and destinations, with plenty to choose from this year:

United has stolen the show in recent years with flights to eye-catching places like Mongolia and Adelaide, Australia, and perhaps most importantly the epic flight I took in June to Greenland.

Flying United Airlines to Greenland: What to Expect and What to Do When You Arrive

There are many more events available in 2026, with a focus on Europe: Bari, Italy; Split, Croatia; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Delta Air Lines is launching flights to Sardinia and Malta after asking customers and employees to vote for its newest European destinations.

American’s biggest splash may be the launch of transatlantic service with its new, premium heavy-lift Airbus A321XLR aircraft, but the airline will also start flying to Budapest and Prague.

Also worth mentioning: Alaska Airlines will make its European debut, and Southwest will fly to its first new city in five years — a new Caribbean destination — next month.

What will happen to airfares in 2026?

Whether air ticket prices will rise or fall is always the biggest concern for consumers. There’s a lot to watch on this front in 2026.

Over the past few years, a glut of flights has driven ticket prices (adjusted for inflation) to record lows as airlines offer discounts to fill seats on planes.

If you flew last year on a Tuesday in September when demand was low, you might have found a deep discount.

Will ticket prices rise in 2026?

Many U.S. airlines cut flights late last year, hoping reducing the number of flights would help them regain pricing power.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean travelers are in for a shock when booking flights for the New Year, said John Grant, an industry analyst at aviation data firm OAG.

“I also doubt [consumer] “Demand is not going to be that strong,” Grant said. “All of this leaves me on the sidelines with very little change in forecasts” when it comes to ticket prices.

To find the best flight deals in 2026:

• Try flying on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday
• Book your summer trip in August instead of the super busy June or July
• Visiting Europe? If your schedule allows, consider joining the ranks for hiking in late winter, early spring, or fall—when prices are lower, crowds are smaller, and temperatures are cooler.

Will artificial intelligence determine the price of your flight in 2026?

Speaking of fares, Delta Air Lines turned heads in 2025 when it revealed it would use artificial intelligence to influence prices on an increasing number of its flights.

Rivals resented the tactic, and lawmakers sent angry letters.

But almost every airline (like every industry) is trying to integrate artificial intelligence into its operations in some form or fashion; we’ve certainly heard about how some airlines are using it to help with logistics and operations.

However, I wouldn’t be surprised if another airline or two inject some kind of artificial intelligence into their dynamic pricing algorithms.

Read more: Is artificial intelligence the reason your flights cost more? What Delta’s new pricing technology really means

Air traffic control remains priority

It seems like we spend half our time in 2025 talking about air traffic control.

There’s good reason for that: Staffing shortages in the critical aviation workforce played a large role in high-profile flight disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) last spring, and exacerbated massive disruptions during last fall’s government shutdown.

Congress has appropriated funds for critical air traffic control equipment upgrades, and the U.S. Department of Transportation has pledged to significantly increase controller hiring.

But all of these improvements will take years to achieve, especially since the FAA reportedly lost hundreds of trainee controllers during the 43-day shutdown.

This means the threat of air traffic control-related delays remains in 2026.

The Flyers can only hope that Washington avoids another shutdown as another government funding deadline approaches on January 30.

Will more consumer protections be rolled back?

Ones to watch in 2025: Which air travel consumer protections, if any, the Trump administration chooses to end, change or otherwise cease enforcement of.

We’ve already seen the Department of Transportation abandon a rule proposed by the Biden administration that would provide cash compensation to passengers when a flight is delayed or canceled and the airline is at fault.

Meanwhile, the airline industry’s largest trade group has called for additional passenger protection measures to be rolled back.

Will their lobbying be successful?

We’ll keep an eye on it.

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