Global Travel Trend for 2014: Low-Cost Carriers Continue to Eat the World

Early in January we released our big report, “14 Global Trends That Will Define Travel in 2014,” outlining the major trends that will define travel this year.

Below is one of the trends we see as playing out over 2014 and beyond.

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Low-cost carriers (LCCs) are continuing their inexorable march across the world. The year 2013 marked the first time when U.S. low-cost carrier unit revenues on domestic routes exceeded that of legacy mainline carriers. In Asia and the Middle East LCCs are outstripping every other sector in aviation.

The success of Spirit Airlines and other so-called ultra low cost carriers is generating copycats and putting pressure on now-mainstream airlines such as Southwest and JetBlue.

And LCCs are moving back into long haul: Norwegian, Wow Air, and Westjet are all looking at the success of AirAsiaX.

Meanwhile, LCCs such as easyJet, Ryanair, JetBlue and Southwest have upped their games in a variety of ways to attract more business travelers.

Related Reads:

• Budget Airlines Now Generate More Unit Revenues Than Legacy Airlines in the U.S.
• The Low-Cost Carriers That Are Taking Over Asia
• Spirit Airlines CEO Thinks There is Plenty of Room in Ultra Low Cost Carrier Club
• EasyJet Gaining in Europe Thanks to Slow Rivals, Business Class Offerings

Check out the 2014 trends below in the presentation, or download them for deeper read. Either way, share them if you like them and think others can benefit from them.

Download the Report