Nearly 200,000 fewer Europeans flew to the US in March, new data shows
Europeans are joining the increasingly global cohort of travelers opting not to take trips to the U.S.
Roughly 178,000 fewer Western Europeans arrived in the U.S. by air in March compared to last year, new data from the U.S. International Trade Administration shows. That represents a 17.4% drop to 846,577 travelers.
Visitors to the U.S. from France, Germany and the U.K. — the three largest European origin countries for U.S.-bound travelers — fell 5%, 29% and 15%, respectively.
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The drop in European visitor numbers is affected by the late Easter that falls on April 20 this year; the holiday was on March 31 in 2024. The holiday, however, typically only accounts for a several percentage point shift in travel between the months and not a double-digit decline.
The data is the latest indication that President Trump’s trade war and hard-line immigration approach, including with longtime allies, is having a tangible effect on travel to the U.S. Reports of French and German nationals either being held at the border or denied entry have also eroded travel sentiment.
Already, bookings by Canadians for flights to the U.S. have fallen by double digits since Trump placed tariffs on goods from the country and repeatedly threatened to annex it as America's "51st" state.
“It’s concerning for us,” Ben Smith, the CEO of Air France and KLM, said at an industry event at the end of March. “We are studying it, looking at it, watching it — as we do all markets — very, very closely.”
The group’s namesake airlines, Air France and KLM, are scheduled to increase seats to the U.S. by 8% and 11.5% year over year, respectively, from April through September, the latest data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
Despite the drop in European travel to the U.S. in March, the industry still plans to grow this summer. Overall seats between the U.S. and Western Europe are up 4.2% from April through September compared to last year and unchanged from a week earlier, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines remain the three largest transatlantic carriers by seats, and plans to add new routes to places like Nuuk, Greenland (United), Sicily, Italy (Delta), and Edinburgh, Scotland (American) remain unchanged.
There are several potential reasons for the lack of change. For one, airlines are likely hesitant to cut schedules this summer when transatlantic travel peaks in case the drop in European travel to the U.S. proves transitory. Another possible scenario is that westbound travel by Americans to Europe counteracts the drop in eastbound travelers.
Savanthi Syth, an airline analyst at Raymond James, wrote April 2 that outbound travel from the U.S. “remains resilient,” even as inbound travel was weakening. She was writing about international trends broadly and not specific to any one geography.
Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr, also speaking at the end of March, was reported saying the transatlantic “relationship has never been healthier” in terms of demand for international vacations and to visit friends and relatives on either side of the Atlantic.
The Lufthansa Group — including its namesake Lufthansa airline, plus Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss — plan to grow U.S. seats by 3.4% in the April-through-September period, Cirium data shows.
Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter on March 19 said the carrier did not "see any impact on the booking situation right now."
A Swiss spokesperson, however, said the airline had seen a decline in leisure bookings even as business demand remained unchanged.
Still, any significant drop in foreign visitors to the U.S. could be costly. For example, the U.S. Travel Association in February estimated that a 10% drop in just Canadian visitors could cost American businesses $2.1 billion in lost revenue.
Delta will release its first-quarter results Wednesday, April 9, and is expected to update its outlook for summer travel.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.