Average Age of U.S. Airline Fleets: Do Travellers Care?

A new study has revealed the which U.S. airlines have the oldest and youngest fleets.

The Upgraded Points research looked at average fleet ages, identified each airline’s oldest aircraft, and measured the share of planes that have been in service for at least 25 years. 

The company also surveyed over a thousand air travellers about their perceptions of aircraft age and whether it influences their booking decisions.

“Travellers consider ticket prices, flight times, and seat comfort when booking, but aircraft age is rarely disclosed during the process,” said Ryan Smith, Director of News at Upgraded Points. 

“Our research found that most travellers care about how old their plane is, though few have ever looked it up. We wanted to compare the fleets of major airlines and find out whether knowing a plane’s age could affect how people book.” 

The Oldest Planes: Airlines with Fleets 25 Years or Older

Average age tells only part of the story. The share of an airline’s fleet that is at least 25 years old offers another way to compare how many veteran aircraft each airline operates.

United has the largest share of planes at least 25 years old, followed by Delta and American. United and Delta are the only airlines in the study with planes aged 30 or older, representing 4.9% and 3.6% of their fleets, respectively. Southwest has no planes aged 25 or older among its 798 aircraft. Nearly one-quarter of Frontier’s fleet is less than two years old.

• United Airlines: 30.7% (share of fleet 25+ years old)
• Delta Air Lines: 27.6%
• American Airlines: 24.3%
• Hawaiian Airlines: 15.3%
• JetBlue: 5.7%
• Allegiant Air: 4.8%
• Alaska Airlines: 3.7%
• Frontier Airlines: 0.0%
• Southwest Airlines: 0.0%

Fleet Age: Perception vs. Reality

Travellers most often named Delta as having the youngest fleet. In reality, Delta’s average fleet age is 15.0 years, tied with United and Hawaiian for the oldest average in the study. Delta also operates the oldest individual aircraft at 37.4 years old.

Frontier was the second-most-common answer when travellers were asked about airlines with the oldest fleet. It actually has the youngest fleet in the study, averaging 4.8 years, and its oldest aircraft is 11 years old.

Average Fleet Age, Youngest to Oldest:

• 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

Travellers estimate the average U.S. passenger plane is about 20 years old. In reality, the average age across the nine airlines’ fleets is just 12.4 years.

The Oldest Individual Aircraft by Airline:

• Delta Air Lines: 37.4 years
• United Airlines: 35.5 years
• American Airlines: 28.8 years
• Hawaiian Airlines: 27.9 years
• Alaska Airlines: 27.2 years

Do Travellers Care About Plane Age?

The survey suggests aircraft age does matter to travellers when comparing flights, and many want airlines to make that information easier to find.

• 57% of respondents care about the age of the plane they fly on.
• 63% say aircraft age would influence their booking decision when choosing between two similar flights.
• 71% want airlines to disclose aircraft age during booking.
• 64% would pay extra to fly on a newer plane. An additional $26 to $50 was the most popular amount.

Check out the full results and learn how to determine a fleet’s age by visiting the study online.