American and United Penalize Solo Travelers (thriftytraveler.com)

American Airlines charges solo passengers higher fares on 33.5% of domestic flights, averaging a $90 premium, while United applies similar penalties to 10.6% of routes with an average $64 increase. Delta, Alaska, and Southwest do not currently employ this pricing tactic after reversing course last year. The practice is most prevalent at American’s Philadelphia and Charlotte hubs, where monopoly power allows for significant price disparities between single and group bookings.