Airlines Are Hemorrhaging Money—Here’s What That Means for Travelers

To convince us to fly, carriers may actually have to work to woo customers again.

Jean-Luc Bouchard
Marker

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Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images

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The Unexpected Upside of Airline Losses

The Buy/Sell/Hold Analysis

The airline business has hit a fresh patch of turbulence lately, as carrier after carrier reports dismal financial results: In the last quarter, Delta lost a record $2.8 billion, American lost $2.1 billion, United lost $1.6 billion, and Southwest lost $915 million. The hemorrhaging will likely continue, with Covid-19 cases spiking nationally, and the number of passengers going through its checkpoints continuing to dip.

But lurking beneath these surface trends, an intriguing shift may be underway: Airlines may actually have to work to…

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