Fares vs. Yields
ATA does not collect or report airline fare information. ATA does collect passenger yield information. "Yield" is the average price someone pays to fly one mile (excluding government taxes and fees, which often constitute a substantial portion of an airline ticket). Passenger yield data, which ATA reports monthly by geographic region, serves as one indicator of recent U.S. airline market/pricing trends.
Data Sample
The ATA report relies on data from seven U.S. airlines* and their regional affiliates. The results are not adjusted for inflation or trip length. The data is based on 100% of scheduled service and reflects all "revenue" passengers, including those redeeming frequent flyer miles ($0 fare) for award travel. Results for a given month are typically available 22 days thereafter and are subject to restatement.
Yield (¢ per Mile)
Excl. Taxes
2010 |
DOMESTIC* |
ATLANTIC |
LATIN |
PACIFIC |
| ¢/RPM |
% Change |
¢/RPM |
% Change |
¢/RPM |
% Change |
¢/RPM |
% Change |
| January |
14.15 |
1.1 |
12.50 |
4.4 |
14.20 |
(5.1) |
11.96 |
(1.6) |
| February |
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| March |
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| April |
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| May |
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| June |
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| July |
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| August |
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| September |
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| October |
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| November |
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| December |
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| 2010 YTD |
14.15 |
1.1 |
12.50 |
4.4 |
14.20 |
(5.1) |
11.96 |
(1.6) |
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*Alaska, American, Continental, Delta (incl. NWA), JetBlue, United, US Airways and their regional affiliates |
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Note: Changes shown are year-over-year comparisons, which are significantly more useful than month-to-month comparisons. An RPM is one revenue (paying) passenger flown one mile.
Click here for historical yield data, by region, from Jan-00 to Dec-08.
Yield (¢ per Mile)
Excl. Taxes
2009 |
DOMESTIC* |
ATLANTIC |
LATIN |
PACIFIC |
| ¢/RPM |
% Change |
¢/RPM |
% Change |
¢/RPM |
% Change |
¢/RPM |
% Change |
| January |
14.00 |
(3.5) |
11.98 |
(7.5) |
14.96 |
2.1 |
12.16 |
(1.4) |
| February |
13.51 |
(8.8) |
11.54 |
(10.7) |
13.34 |
(2.3) |
11.45 |
(2.9) |
| March |
13.34 |
(14.0) |
10.53 |
(14.4) |
12.73 |
(10.4) |
11.40 |
(4.5) |
| April |
13.43 |
(10.7) |
9.93 |
(21.9) |
12.77 |
(8.0) |
10.28 |
(17.3) |
| May |
12.71 |
(16.2) |
9.94 |
(24.0) |
11.95 |
(16.6) |
10.26 |
(17.9) |
| June |
12.93 |
(18.9) |
10.82 |
(25.2) |
11.91 |
(21.8) |
9.64 |
(25.5) |
| July |
13.20 |
(14.7) |
11.12 |
(22.8) |
12.19 |
(21.5) |
9.70 |
(27.5) |
| August |
13.14 |
(14.0) |
10.70 |
(24.3) |
12.62 |
(19.8) |
11.25 |
(24.4) |
| September |
13.26 |
(16.6) |
10.82 |
(22.5) |
12.47 |
(21.4) |
10.96 |
(19.7) |
| October |
13.69 |
(12.5) |
11.63 |
(14.4) |
12.80 |
(17.3) |
10.69 |
(17.8) |
| November |
14.47 |
(4.6) |
12.07 |
(8.2) |
13.36 |
(11.5) |
10.88 |
(14.9) |
| December |
14.11 |
(1.9) |
11.81 |
2.3 |
14.44 |
(6.9) |
11.04 |
(8.4) |
| 2009 YTD |
13.45 |
(11.8) |
11.00 |
(17.8) |
13.02 |
(12.6) |
10.80 |
(15.8) |
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*Alaska, American, Continental, Delta (incl. NWA), JetBlue, United, US Airways and their regional affiliates |
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