Post-pandemic consumer travel trends are driving airlines to guess at the “new normal” by eliminating flights, rebuilding networks, and squeezing more passengers into planes.

While travel demand remains high, shifting patterns raise airlines’ operational costs and reduce revenue.

They also raise concerns about trip expenditure amid economic uncertainty, causing airline shares to fall 6% from January highs.

Flexible job arrangements are changing ticket-buying habits. Trent stated. “Let’s get used to it.”

Customers are altering vacation plans more often, increasing no-show rates.

Peak travel demand has increased, whereas midweek demand has decreased. According to a Reuters examination of U.S. Transportation Security Administration statistics, passenger travel this year has dropped 14% on Tuesdays and Wednesdays compared to Mondays, then rebounded on Thursdays.

Customers are booking vacations earlier than the previous year, reducing ticket sales close to travel dates. Citi’s research reveals that close-in ticket sales have decreased for three weeks, while those for June and July trips have improved. Companies must adapt to those changes.

Frontier Airlines (ULCC.O) cut Tuesday and Wednesday flights by 20%, citing low demand. Midweek was less of a slump last year.

The Denver-based carrier ascribed the rise to flexible work arrangements, where more individuals work two to three days a week in the office.

Frontier Airlines senior VP Daniel Shurz stated Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the most typical office days. “So leisure travel is hardest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.”

Last week, the ultra-low-cost airline reported higher revenue per available seat mile on peak travel days than before the epidemic because consumers are ready to pay more to fly on other days.

Frontier’s network reorganization canceled unnamed routes. As a result, it anticipates capacity to expand 19%-22% from last year instead of 23%-28%, raising operational expenses.

United Airlines (UAL.O), which has a limited presence in the Caribbean and Florida, where winter demand is high, is similarly affected by changing travel patterns.

The Chicago-based carrier’s network mainly focuses on commercial traffic, which has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. United announced its Florida network expansion last month.

“We believe demand is just structurally different than pre-pandemic,” CEO Scott Kirby said. “We’re still figuring out that new normal.”

Airline ticket sales are changing.

After the epidemic, passengers are booking flights sooner.

United said bookings within 21 days are lower than those beyond 21. Delta Airlines (DAL.N) reported lower reservations for travel within 30 days and higher ones outside 30 days.

Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) reported lower reservations for itineraries closer to departure than the previous summer.

Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) CEO Ed Bastian attributed it to customers wanting to fly sooner and carriers eliminating flight change costs.

Domestic airfares are cooling.

Hopper data indicated April domestic round-trip pricing dropped 15% to $285.

Hopper’s head economist, Hayley Berg, said travel expenditure has increased despite ticket statistics raising worries about consumer demand.

Meanwhile, waiving change fees encourages last-minute changes, affecting the passenger load factor. As a result, Delta’s load factor fell by 4% in the March quarter.

Delta aims to overbook flights more to fix this. However, the corporation kept its plans private.

It might cause further flight cancellations.

According to U.S. Transportation Department data, it refused more customers than American Airlines (AAL.O) and United last year. However, all travelers freely accepted payment to change flights except for two.

“We had a lot of stability pre-pandemic,” Delta President Glen Hauenstein remarked. “It’s a new normal here.”