{"id":25020,"date":"2025-04-16T14:56:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T14:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/25020\/"},"modified":"2025-04-16T14:56:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T14:56:14","slug":"airlines-offering-low-fares-as-european-visitors-to-us-decline-by-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/25020\/","title":{"rendered":"Airlines Offering Low Fares as European Visitors to US Decline by 17%"},"content":{"rendered":"

LONDON-<\/strong> Official US data reveals a 17 per cent year-on-year decline<\/strong> in Europeans visiting the United States in March 2025. Airlines now cut summer prices to fill empty seats on planes.<\/p>\n

Typically, nonstop air fares between the UK and the US reach nearly \u00a31,000 return<\/strong> in July and August. The Independent<\/a> found Manchester (MAN)-New York (JFK) flights on Aer Lingus (EI) <\/a>available for just \u00a3368 return.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"AirlinesPhoto- Wikimedia Commons; Compiled by Aviation A2Z<\/p>\n

US-Europe Travel Decline<\/p>\n

Air Canada (AC) <\/a>offers London Heathrow (LHR)<\/a> to San Francisco (SFO)<\/a> flights for \u00a3511 return <\/strong>in July, with connections in Toronto (YYZ) <\/strong>or Montreal (YUL),<\/strong> as demand to the US falls. Europeans access very low fares via the UK. <\/p>\n

British Airways (BA) <\/a>sells return tickets from Copenhagen (CPH) <\/a>via London Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK) in August for just \u00a3365 <\/strong>\u2013 less than half the cost of a direct London (LHR)-New York (JFK) flight.<\/p>\n

The US International Trade Administration <\/strong>reports significant declines from key European markets since Donald Trump\u2019s election as president. Immediately after taking office, Trump ordered stricter controls on \u201call aliens seeking admission to the United States,\u201d<\/strong> requiring they be \u201cvetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.\u201d This raised deportation fears among potential visitors.<\/p>\n

The president expressed interest in acquiring both Canada and Greenland<\/strong> for the US. While Canadian arrival data remains unpublished in official figures, the impact on the Danish market appears clear. Greenland exists as an autonomous territory within Denmark. Arrivals from Denmark to the US dropped<\/strong> by approximately one-third compared to last year.<\/p>\n

Part of the decline stems from the early Easter in 2024<\/strong>, which boosted the previous year\u2019s numbers. The Heathrow shutdown<\/a> on March 21 had a small effect, causing some European travellers to cancel trips after more than 700 outbound flights were cancelled.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"AirlinesPhoto: Siddh Dhuri | MumbaiPlanes<\/p>\n

From Growth to Decline<\/p>\n

Four months ago, Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics, predicted a 9 per cent increase in visitors to the US in 2025. That forecast now shows a 9 per cent decline instead. <\/strong>The organisation states: <\/p>\n

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\u201cTrump\u2019s policies and pronouncements have produced a negative sentiment shift toward the US among international travellers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The correlating decline in international travel to the US is expected to be strongest in 2025, with persisting degrees of impact throughout the remainder of Trump\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n

Tourism Economics identified \u201cnegative sentiment,<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cborder and immigration policies and uncertainty<\/strong>\u201d as key issues. They predict a decline of over 20 per cent in visitor numbers from Canada. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)<\/strong> responded that it does not \u201cretaliate against individuals for expressing their views.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AirlinesAer Lingus & American Airlines Group in Dublin airport, 20\/05\/2017. Aeroin.net<\/p>\n

Travel Agencies Data<\/p>\n

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership<\/strong>, stated: \u201cAcross our travel agency network, we are not seeing any sign of a decline in demand for travel to the US currently, and bookings continue to be robust, with New York and Orlando performing as strong favourite US destinations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given that the US has a late Easter this year, this will distort March booking patterns. However, week-on-week bookings to the US are holding strong, and as of 31 March, sales across the travel agent partners were up 11 per cent compared to the previous week and up 5 per cent compared to the same week last year, as per Julia Lo.<\/p>\n

\"SaudiaPhoto: Alec Wilson | Flickr<\/p>\n

Industry Experts<\/p>\n

The president and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, Julie Coker, predicts a 10 per cent increase in UK visits to the city in 2025.<\/p>\n

Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency and former director of communications for Virgin Atlantic (VS)<\/a>, said: \u201cWhile there are some early indications of a reduction in demand to the US, experience tells us that airlines, hotels and car hire firms usually tweak their prices and offer enticing offers to build back demand over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles added: \u201cA silver lining<\/strong> for the industry is that many Easter and summer holiday bookings to the US will already have been booked during the early part of the year, creating less worry about future revenues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul English, co-founder of travel website Kayak, told the Financial Times: \u201cIn just two months [Trump] has destroyed the reputation of the US, shown one way by diminished travel from the EU to the US. This is not only one more terrible blow to the US economy, it also represents reputation damage that could take generations to repair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AirlinesPhoto: Cl\u00e9ment Alloing<\/p>\n

Airlines Respond<\/p>\n

Delta Air Lines (DL)<\/a> cancelled its expansion plans<\/strong> for the second half of 2025 and warned it would defer deliveries of new Airbus aircraft while tariffs remain in place.<\/p>\n

Delta\u2019s chief executive, Ed Bastian, previously said the incoming Trump administration would be a \u201cbreath of fresh air\u201d <\/strong>for airlines after what he called government \u201coverreach\u201d under President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n

Delta (DL) donated $1 million to Trump\u2019s inaugural fund, as did United Airlines (UA)<\/a> and Boeing.<\/p>\n

Featured Image by Siddh Dhuri | MumbaiPlanes<\/a><\/p>\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n

Join us on\u00a0Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/p>\n

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