Strong Travel Demand Lifts Southwest Airlines, JetBlue

Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways have both seen travel demand improve since their last second-quarter guidance update in April.

Southwest expects operating revenues to be 12-15 percent higher than in 2019, which is either the upper limit of its previous guidance or three-points higher, the Dallas-based carrier said Thursday. The airline "expects solid profits and operating margins, excluding special items, in second quarter 2022 and for the remainder of this year."

And JetBlue expects revenues to come in at the high end of the up 11-16 percent year-over-three-years range it previously provided, the New York-based carrier said Thursday. And in June, unit revenues — a measure of how much it makes per seat mile flown — are "shaping up to be meaningfully better" than April and May with an increase of 20 percent compared to 2019.

"The demand environment continues to be strong," JetBlue said.