{"id":112128,"date":"2025-09-11T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=112128"},"modified":"2025-09-11T02:55:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T21:25:09","slug":"top-10-airlines-with-highest-ancillary-revenue-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/11\/top-10-airlines-with-highest-ancillary-revenue-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Airlines with Highest Ancillary Revenue in the World in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 2025 Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue shows a major industry shift; ancillary revenue rose while fares declined. Airlines such as Frontier (F9)<\/a>, Spirit (NK)<\/a>, and Wizz Air (W6)<\/a> are leading this change with record breaking revenue percentages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covering 61 airlines worldwide, the report highlights that total global ancillary revenue surpassed $148 billion in 2024, a sharp increase from the 2019 record of $109.5 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low cost carriers (LCCs) continue to dominate this space, with some now earning more from extras like baggage and seat fees than from base fares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Photo: Spirit Airlines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 Airlines with Highest Ancillary Revenue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

IdeaWorksCompany tracks ancillary revenue, which includes fees for baggage, seats, and loyalty programs, for 61 airlines in 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This revenue stream reached a record $148 billion<\/strong> globally, up from $109.5 billion in 2019, driven by an 8.6% rise in passenger traffic to 4.6 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rank<\/th>Airline<\/th>Ancillary Revenue %<\/th>2023 Result<\/th>Change<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>Frontier (F9)<\/td>62.0%<\/td>56.2%<\/td>+5.8 points<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Spirit (NK)<\/td>58.7%<\/td>56.4%<\/td>+2.3 points<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Volaris (Y4)<\/td>55.3%<\/td>48.7%<\/td>+6.6 points<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Breeze (MX)<\/td>54.0%<\/td>51.3%<\/td>+2.7 points<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Allegiant (G4)<\/td>52.9%<\/td>49.8%<\/td>+3.1 points<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Wizz Air (W6)<\/td>44.6%<\/td>44.7%<\/td>-0.1 points<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Viva Aerobus (VB)<\/td>43.7%<\/td>45.5%<\/td>-1.8 points<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>Volotea (V7)<\/td>40.0%<\/td>n\/a<\/td>n\/a<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>easyJet (U2)<\/td>38.6%<\/td>36.1%<\/td>+2.5 points<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Pegasus (PC)<\/td>33.9%<\/td>30.3%<\/td>+3.6 points<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traditional airlines face pressure from lower fares but gain from ancillary boosts. For instance, a 5.3% per passenger ancillary increase helped counter fare declines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low-cost carriers (LCCs) excel in a la carte services, with five airlines now deriving over 50% of revenue from ancillaries, surpassing previous peaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-performing LCCs saw ancillary revenue rise 3.6% per passenger, while their primary passenger fares dropped 5.7%. Other LCCs experienced minimal ancillary growth at 0.6% but saw fares increase 1.4%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional airlines posted the highest ancillary gain at 5.3% per passenger, against a 6.0% fare drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US majors, including Alaska Airlines (AS)<\/a>, American Airlines (AA)<\/a>, Delta Air Lines (DL)<\/a>, Southwest Airlines (WN)<\/a>, and United Airlines (UA)<\/a>, reported 2.4% ancillary growth and a 1.4% fare decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the 58 airlines compared year-over-year showed 2.5% ancillary revenue growth per passenger, contrasted by a 3.8% drop in other revenue, mainly fares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic economy fares spread across carriers, from traditional to LCCs worldwide, mimicking LCC models for quick revenue. However, this shift risks eroding traditional airline distinctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jay Sorensen, President of IdeaWorksCompany, notes that top performers limit larger carry-ons via policies and fees, while applying revenue management to seat pricing based on demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: By Johnnyw3 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=76752468<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Top Performers in Ancillary Revenue Share<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ranking focuses on ancillary revenue as a percentage of total revenue, elevating LCCs as top a la carte retailers. Loyalty revenue plays a minor role here, despite frequent flyer programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frontier Airlines (F9) topped the list at 62.0%, up 5.8 points from 2023. Spirit Airlines (NK) followed at 58.7%, gaining 2.3 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volaris (Y4)<\/a> ranked third at 55.3%, with a 6.6-point increase. Breeze Airways (MX)<\/a> achieved 54.0%, up 2.7 points. Allegiant Air (G4) hit 52.9%, rising 3.1 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wizz Air (W6) placed sixth at 44.6%, slightly down 0.1 points. Viva Aerobus (VB) reached 43.7%, dropping 1.8 points. Volotea (V7) entered at 40.0%, with no prior data. easyJet (U2)<\/a> scored 38.6%, up 2.5 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pegasus Airlines (PC)<\/a> closed the top 10 at 33.9%, gaining 3.6 points. These results stem from 12-month financial disclosures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wizz
Photo: Wizz Air<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Notable Innovations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Frontier Airlines (F9) broke the 60% ancillary threshold, joining four others above 50%. Norse Atlantic Airways (N0)<\/a> set a record with over $100 ancillary revenue per passenger annually, using branded fares per IdeaWorksCompany recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qantas (QF)<\/a> leads in Australia with 35% consumer credit spending via co-branded cards, underscoring loyalty scheme profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US majors generated $28 billion in loyalty revenue, averaging $35.48 per passenger, up from $34.86 in 2023. Sorensen emphasizes that ancillary choices let travelers upgrade for comfort, but basic economy adoption by traditional airlines risks LCC convergence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pegasus
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Industry Implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ancillary revenue offsets fare pressures, with global growth despite traffic gains via discounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, IdeaWorksCompany’s 18th edition, serves as the key industry reference. Carriers must balance a la carte strategies to sustain revenue without alienating passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us on\u00a0Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top 10 Highest Revenue Domestic Routes for the US Airlines in 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>