Southwest and JetBlue say Q2 revenue will be higher than expected.

The travel rebound is shaping up to be even stronger than airlines expected, helping to make up for rising fuel prices. Southwest and JetBlue said Thursday that their revenues in the second quarter were on track to be higher than the companies had projected. The announcements are the latest sign that people are increasingly planning leisure and business trips despite an increase in coronavirus cases across the country. Many travelers also seem unbothered by high prices for tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars. Flights booked within the United States for this weekend cost an average of $394, a 28% increase from the same weekend in 2019, according to Hopper, a travel booking app. Southwest said in a securities filing that it expects revenues from April through June to increase between 12 and 15% from the same period in 2019, up from a previous projection of an 8 to 12% increase. And while fuel prices are expected to be 5 to 11% higher than previously expected, higher revenue will “more than offset” that rise in costs, the airline said. Based on current trends, Southwest said it “expects solid profits and operating margins” for Q2 and the rest of the year. JetBlue similarly said that business was improving and that it was on track to collect record revenue this summer. Ticket bookings are exceeding the airline’s expectations, with revenue for the current quarter expected to be “at or above” the high end of its previous estimate. Revenue per seat per mile flown is expected to be more than 20% higher than in Q2 2019, the airline said. <br/>