America has some serious wanderlust

Wedding season is in full swing. And, according to a series of record earnings reports released by major airlines over the past week, the summer travel season is too.

• American Airlines: Reported record quarterly revenue of $14.1 billion yesterday.
• United: Posted record quarterly earnings of $5.03 per share yesterday.
• Delta: Reported its highest quarterly earnings and revenue in history, generating top-line sales of $14.6 billion for Q2.

And if to these record numbers 👆 you said “pffft, small change, airlines also generate cargo revenue so that doesn’t mean people are traveling” – try this hat on for size. The TSA screened ~2.9 million people on the Friday before Fourth of July weekend, the most it’s ever handled in a single day.

📸 Big picture: Demand for domestic travel is starting to flatten, per the airlines, but demand from Americans wanting to have their Emily in Paris moment is going gangbusters. According to estimates from AAA, international travel bookings through May 2023 were up 40% compared with the same time period in 2022.

The top destinations? Spain, Italy, Greece, and the south of France (at least for Delta travelers).