Airlines charging solo travelers more is not a new complaint, but a fresh sample puts numbers on it. Thrifty Traveler checked 5,000 flights on the five largest U.S. airlines and found that American priced a lone passenger higher on 33.5% of its 1,000 flights. This guide explains what the study found, what it cannot tell you and what to check first.
Treat the figures as one sample from one outlet, not a count of every flight. We have not run these searches ourselves, and nothing here promises you a lower fare. Our Travel section has more trip planning.
As of Monday, November 2, 2026. Fares change constantly, so price your own dates before you decide.
Airlines charging solo travelers more: what Thrifty Traveler found
Thrifty Traveler published its analysis on October 30. It looked at 1,000 flights each on American, United, Delta, Alaska and Southwest. Every flight was a nonstop, domestic, one-way trip on a randomly selected route over the next 11 months.
The results varied sharply by airline:
- American. A solo fare ran higher on 33.5% of flights, by an average of more than $90.
- United. A solo fare ran higher on 10.6% of flights, by just over $64.
- Delta, Alaska and Southwest. Thrifty Traveler found none on any of its 1,000 flights.
Thrifty Traveler says Delta briefly used the tactic last year and reversed it. It also says American and United have expanded it to some domestic roundtrips, and that American occasionally does it on short international flights to Mexico or the Caribbean. American did not respond to the outlet, and United declined to comment.
How one seat can cost more than three
The clearest example comes from American’s Miami to Charlotte route. Thrifty Traveler found a solo fare of $496, against $155 each for two or more passengers. At those prices, three passengers cost less than one.
At those prices, three passengers cost less than one.
United showed a similar pattern. On a Newark to Santa Ana flight on February 22, one traveler paid $404. Thrifty Traveler says adding a second passenger cut the price by more than $100 per person.
In some cases, the gap traces back to a cheaper fare that sells only to groups. Thrifty Traveler says one basic economy fare was bookable only for two or more travelers, at about $100 each.
Why a solo fare can cost more
The fare rules explain the mechanics. Thrifty Traveler points to rules, visible on the ITA Matrix search tool, that require the traveler to be “accompanied on all sectors in the same compartment by at least 1 adult.” American calls its version Multi-Pax Fares, according to View from the Wing, and sells them to eligible passengers who book and travel together.
The motive is less clear. Thrifty Traveler guesses that solo flyers are more likely to be business travelers spending an employer’s money, which would make this a way to split customers by how much they will pay. That is a guess, not a finding. Thrifty Traveler also notes that plenty of lone passengers do not fit that mold, including people with family emergencies, friends who book separately and spouses who leave a day or two apart.
Thrifty Traveler also says airfare is up more than 25% from a year ago, which it ties to a fuel shock after the war in Iran.
Airlines charging solo travelers more: penalty or discount?
The airline side sees a discount. Thrifty Traveler notes that critics, and even former airline chief executives, say the pricing works as a group discount as much as a solo penalty. View from the Wing says a former American Airlines chief executive made a similar case, that different prices help fill a plane.
Thrifty Traveler’s own data pushes back in places. On routes where American charged solo travelers more on some dates and the same on others, group fares were slightly higher on the penalty dates. The Philadelphia to Rochester group fare was roughly $307 per passenger on three dates. On December 8, a single traveler paid $434, nearly $120 more. The practice also looked more common on monopoly routes, and it says United’s case is weaker and sometimes looks like a companion discount.
Counts from other outlets do not match. In a count published June 27, 2025, The Points Guy and Points Path checked 3,817 route combinations for a single day, July 18. Solo passengers paid more on 271 of them and less on 235. Most fares were identical. The samples differ in date, routes and method, so you cannot add them up.
The Federal Trade Commission is also in the picture, but only loosely. Reuters reported that on October 28 the agency demanded information from nine companies, including airlines Delta, United and JetBlue, on whether and how they use personal data to set personalized prices. American was not among the airlines named. Reuters says spokespeople for Delta and JetBlue said their companies do not engage in personalized pricing. TheTravel reports that the companies have 45 days to respond. The demands seek information. They do not find wrongdoing, and they cover personalized pricing, not solo fares.
How to check one seat versus two before you book
Start with the plan you actually have. View from the Wing advises searching with your real number of travelers and comparing the total price. Then search again with one passenger to see the difference.
Whatever the reason for airlines charging solo travelers more, a short checklist helps:
- Compare totals, not per-person fares. A $155 fare for two is $310. Set that against the solo price for the same flights.
- Run it both ways. The reverse can happen. View from the Wing notes that a single seat left at a low fare can make a party of two pay more.
- Check your return flight too. Thrifty Traveler says the practice has reached some roundtrips.
- Read the fare rules. The ITA Matrix shows them, and the accompaniment language is the part to look for.
- Expect a repricing if your plans change. View from the Wing cites American’s instructions: when a cancellation leaves one passenger on a multi-passenger fare, the airline reprices that ticket to an eligible fare.
Think twice before buying a second ticket you do not plan to use. TheTravel reports that American’s ticket rules prohibit buying a ticket without intending to travel, and says the airline could cancel unused flights, refuse to let a passenger fly, withhold a refund or charge what the fare would have cost. No search or second ticket guarantees a better fare.
If your dates are flexible, a Thanksgiving trip plan or a fall foliage day trip by train sidesteps the question altogether.
Airlines charging solo travelers more: FAQ
Are airlines charging solo travelers more than groups?
Some do, on some flights. Thrifty Traveler found higher solo fares on 33.5% of American’s sampled flights and 10.6% of United’s.
Is it cheaper to book flights for two people?
Sometimes. Thrifty Traveler found cases where two or more passengers paid less per person, and View from the Wing says the reverse can also happen.
Which airlines are charging solo travelers more?
In Thrifty Traveler’s sample, American and United were the airlines charging solo travelers more. Delta, Alaska and Southwest showed none on 1,000 flights each.
Is this a solo traveler tax?
Thrifty Traveler uses the phrase and says it “hasn’t disappeared.” Airlines frame the same pricing as a discount for groups.
Sources: Thrifty Traveler (October 30), View from the Wing (November 1), TheTravel (November 1), Reuters (October 28) and The Points Guy (June 27, 2025). Last checked Monday, November 2, 2026.