Featured image: Ervin Eslami/Airways

Visualized: Cirium Flags Softer Transatlantic Bookings

LONDON — Cirium data shows July 2026 transatlantic advance bookings fall year over year, led by a sharper pullback from Europe to the U.S.

Cirium analyzed advanced airline bookings for July 2026 travel versus July 2025 travel, comparing bookings made Oct 7–Jan 31 across the two years (Oct 7, 2025–Jan 31, 2026 vs Oct 7, 2024–Jan 31, 2025). The company reports that Europe→U.S. bookings are down 14.22% YoY and U.S.→Europe bookings are down 7.27% YoY in its directional sample.

The data highlights uneven city-level movement. On the Europe→U.S. side, Cirium’s sample shows drops from major origins, including Frankfurt (−36%), Barcelona (−26%), Amsterdam (−23%), and Paris (−21%), while London Heathrow is the outlier at +1%. On the U.S.→Europe side, the sample shows Frankfurt (−29%) as the deepest decline, while Barcelona (+5%) is the only growth market listed.

Why it matters: July sits inside peak transatlantic season, and the FIFA World Cup 26 runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, a demand wildcard that can reshape summer travel patterns and pricing.

Caveat: Cirium notes this is not airline-direct bookings; it’s compiled from third-party sources (OTAs and GDS), and it’s meant to be directional rather than definitive—“a sample of a sample.”

July 2026 Bookings: YoY Snapshot

Cirium advance bookings sample • Oct 7–Jan 31 window
Europe → U.S.
−14.22%
U.S. → Europe
−7.27%
Directional indicator based on OTA/GDS sources (not airline-direct totals). City lists reflect a statistically significant sample, not the full market.
YoY change in advance bookings for July travel (2026 vs 2025), based on Cirium’s sample window.

Europe → U.S.: City-Level Change

YoY % change in bookings • July 2026 travel
Source: Cirium (OTA/GDS-derived directional sample). Values are YoY % change.

U.S. → Europe: City-Level Change

YoY % change in bookings • July 2026 travel
Source: Cirium (OTA/GDS-derived directional sample). Values are YoY % change.