I’m asking because there might be some business opportunities depending on your answer — and because United Airlines said this week that solo travel is up 5 percent from a year ago.
What’s more, it seems the odds of flying solo go up, the younger the passengers.
Specifically, United said approximately 70 percent of Generation Z travelers now go it alone, compared to 65 percent of Millennials, and 57 percent of Boomers.
What about Generation X?
Quick aside to note that once again, Generation X is left out of the list as if it didn’t exist, despite the fact that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and probably some of United’s most experienced pilots and other flight crew – to say nothing of the person writing this column – are all card-carrying GenXers.
Anyway, back to United Airlines’s comments on the travel habits of the other generations that make up its passenger base, and how it wants to highlight United as an airline where passengers who fly alone should feel welcome:
“We know our customers want to make memories all over the world and our goal is to help them do this as easily as possible–whether they’re traveling with a companion or flying solo,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer – who I’m pretty sure is also Generation X, by the way, based on his LinkedIn profile.
Inspiring or depressing?
Anyway, as a GenXer who is always concerned about the other generations, these data points gave me pause. In fact, I was on the fence trying to decide whether this was an inspiring trend or a depressing one.
- One might find it inspiring, if one were to conclude that solo travelers were on the rise because people are more independent, and confident, and willing to hit the road (or the skies) on their own than in days gone by.
- Or else, one might find it depressing – if one were to conclude that solo travel is somehow related to the “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” that now-former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (a Generation X member, by the way), and others have highlighted over the past few years.
A third option: Some of this trend may be the result of a return of business travel.
A study from Deloitte last year said an overwhelming majority of corporate travel managers surveyed saw their companies’ business travel budgets growing in the second half of 2024 and into this year.
Brazil, South Korea, and Nigeria
That said, there is good evidence that at least some of this is driven by the simplest explanation: Travelers of all ages having a bit more time, and a bit of disposable income, and a bit of wanderlust.
Last year’s American Express Global Travel Trends Report highlighted solo travel, saying that 76 percent of Millennials and Gen Z reported planning a solo trip, with 66 percent “planning a trip centered around self-love and treating themselves.”
As far as Generation X, they said … Oh wait. AmEx’s high-line view of the data also didn’t highlight any Gen-X trends.
By the way, I asked United Airlines for further comment on whether increased business travel might account for some of this, along with why we’re still pretending Generation X doesn’t exist. I haven’t heard back.
What did United Airlines share? Here’s its statement highlighting the solo travel trend:
- Online searches for “solo travel” have “skyrocketed 223% in the past decade and solo travel on United was the highest ever in 2024.”
- Most popular solo travel destinations on United include Brazil, South Korea, and Nigeria.
- Timing is interesting: “Solo travel spikes from January to May, and again from September to November.”
Seems like we’re not leaving our kids alone in the case of that last data point, as they’d be more likely to be out of school and free to travel during summers.
Let’s choose optimism
Anyway, I realize as I write this that I’ve taken a lot of solo flights – even if a majority of them involved me flying alone to meet friends and family wherever I was going. But again, since I’m Generation X that wouldn’t factor into the data we’re using here.
Regardless, it’s encouraging to think that adventure, independence – and maybe even increased corporate travel budgets – account for the trends here instead of less-savory trends, like leftover pandemic loneliness or people spending so much time online that they don’t wind up developing in-person relationships.
I’m going to choose optimism and credit this finding as an inspirational trend as opposed to a depressing one.
Besides, changing demographics — whether it means paying attention to the rise in solo travelers, or maybe paying attention to GenX customers who’ve been kind of left by the side — can lead to great opportunties.
See you next time you fly – whether you’re with friends, or family, or by yourself.
Whatever works for you, that’s cool. How very GenX of me.
