When booking flights, most travelers focus on finding an affordable fare and choosing the perfect seat.
But have you considered the plane’s age when buying an airline ticket?
It’s a metric that’s important to many fliers, according to a new survey from Upgraded Points. The study found that 63% of travelers say aircraft age would influence their booking decision when choosing between two similar flights.
Still, many fliers don’t know how to compare fleet ages when purchasing airfares.
"Our research found that most travelers care about how old their plane is, though few have ever looked it up,” said Ryan Smith, director of news at Upgraded Points. “We wanted to compare the fleets of major airlines and find out whether knowing a plane's age could affect how people book."
So Upgraded Points used data from Planespotters.net to compare United States airlines’ total active fleet size, average fleet age, and the age of their oldest aircraft. The study also surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. travelers about their perception of fleet age.
The study found that the biggest carriers in the U.S. operate the largest share of veteran planes. About 30% of United Airlines’ planes are 25 years or older, followed by Delta (27%), and American Airlines (24%).
Carriers with the youngest average fleets included Frontier Airlines, with an average plane age of 4.8 years; Alaska Airlines, whose planes are 9.5 years old on average; and Southwest Airlines, with an average plane age of 11 years.
Delta, United, and Hawaiian Airlines tied for the oldest fleets, all with an average plane age of 15 years.
Here’s a look at the full list of average fleet age for U.S. airlines, according to Upgraded Points:
- Frontier Airlines: 4.8 years
- Alaska Airlines: 9.5 years
- Southwest Airlines: 11.0 years
- JetBlue: 12.4 years
- Allegiant Air: 14.1 years
- American Airlines: 14.8 years
- Delta Air Lines: 15.0 years
- United Airlines: 15.0 years
- Hawaiian Airlines: 15.0 years
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