Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
With a combined market cap of nearly $130 billion, the seven largest domestic airlines carry a vast majority of air passengers in the U.S. They service hundreds of destinations all over the globe, flying more than 740 million revenue passenger miles (RPMs)—which is what you get when you multiply the number of paying customers by the distance traveled—in 2014 alone.
Read on to explore the seven largest airlines in the U.S.! Peanuts not included.
(All data is as of February 2016)
#7 Spirit
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
The ultra-low-cost carrier is known for its healthy balance sheet: It has over $750 million in cash versus $530 million in debt. About a third of Spirit’s revenue is generated through ancillary, or non-ticket, fees. In 2014, Spirit grew its capacity the fastest among U.S. carriers, increasing traffic 18 percent.
Market Cap: $3.4 billion
Founded: 1980
Headquarters: Miramar, FL
Destinations: 57
#6 JetBlue
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Over 90 percent of JetBlue’s passengers fly point-to-point, meaning there are no connecting flights. The carrier plans to add between 10 and 12 additional seats to every jet in its fleet, a move that’s expected to generate $100 million in extra revenue by 2019. JetBlue became the first domestic carrier to expand its services to Cuba once diplomatic relations were relaxed between the Caribbean island and the U.S.
Market Cap: $7 billion
Founded: 1998
Headquarters: Long Island City, NY
Destinations: 97
#5 Alaska
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
For five straight years, Alaska has been ranked as the most fuel-efficient domestic airline by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), receiving a fuel efficiency score (FES) of 1.14. For eight straight years, it’s received J.D. Powers’ highest rating in its 2015 North America Airline Satisfaction Survey. The airline carries more passengers between Alaska and the bottom 48 states than any other airline.
Market Cap: $9 billion
Founded: 1932
Headquarters: Seattle, WA
Destinations: 104
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
