Demand for transatlantic flights soars as Americans can't get enough of Europe

New Yorker Elizabeth Palumbi's list of European cities to visit this spring keeps getting longer, and she is not alone. Online searches by Americans for flights to Europe trips are surging despite soaring air fares, a worsening economic outlook and risks of gridlock at some of the airports in Europe. The travel boom is promising record profit margins at some U.S. carriers, which are ramping up transatlantic capacity to cash in on Americans' thirst for travel to Europe. It also explains why U.S. carriers remain upbeat about travel spending in spite of rising interest rates, high inflation, mounting job losses and a global banking crisis. Industry executives said lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions in Europe is encouraging more people to travel as they no longer fear getting stranded overseas if they contract the virus. Travelers are also being emboldened by a strong U.S. dollar and more flexible work arrangements. Online travel agency Hopper's March data shows 37% of searches from US-based customers for international travel this spring are for flights to Europe, a 9% increase from the same period in 2019. Travel website Kayak said searches for travel to Europe this summer are up 77% from last year. There is still untapped travel demand for Europe even after a busy summer last year, said Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper. As a result, from late May through fall, the region has become the top travel destination for Americans.<br/>