Light Load Alert: These US Flights Had The Lowest Load Factors in June 2024
These international flights from June 2024 might be your best bet in June 2025.
Matt C
May 24, 2025
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If your June 2025 travel plans are still up in the air, don’t sweat it—some routes had delightfully low load factors in June 2024, which could be a good indicator for June 2025. We dug into Department of Transportation (DOT) data for June 2024 to find international flights from the U.S. with the most breathing room. All flights listed had at least 15 departures last year and are scheduled again this June.
While it’s not a guarantee (aircraft swaps and school breaks can mess with loads fast), these trends offer a solid starting point for standby travelers hunting for wide-open cabins.
Let’s break it down by region.
Mexico & Caribbean: Always Popular, But Not Always Full
While Cancun and the Caymans are never empty, some June 2024 numbers surprised us—like just 50% on Cayman Airways’ TPA-GCM run and 63% on JetBlue’s JFK-PLS.
Load Factor | Route | Airline |
|---|---|---|
50% | Tampa (TPA) - Grand Cayman (GCM) | Cayman Airways |
51% | New York (JFK) - Saint Lucia (UVF) | JetBlue |
60% | Cleveland (CLE) - Cancun (CUN) | Frontier |
63% | Miami (MIA) - Grand Cayman (GCM) | Cayman Airways |
63% | New York (JFK) - Turks & Caicos (PLS) | JetBlue |
70% | Orlando (MCO) - Cancun (CUN) | JetBlue |
76% | Miami (MIA) - Turks & Caicos (PLS) | American |
78% | New York/Newark (EWR) - Turks & Caicos | United |
Europe: Shoulder-Season Openings on Key Routes
Some transatlantic routes saw sub-70% load factors—music to a passrider’s ears. JetBlue’s JFK-CDG and BOS-AMS, plus French bee’s SFO-ORY route, all clocked in under 70%.
Load Factor | Route | Airline |
|---|---|---|
55% | San Francisco (SFO) - Paris (ORY) | French Bee |
65% | Boston (BOS) - Amsterdam (AMS) | JetBlue |
68% | New York (JFK) - Geneva (GVA) | SWISS |
68% | New York (JFK) - Frankfurt (FRA) | Singapore Airlines |
69% | Boston (BOS) - Paris (CDG) | JetBlue |
69% | New York (JFK) - Edinburgh (EDI) | JetBlue |
78% | New York (JFK) - Paris (CDG) | JetBlue |
Asia & Oceania: Surprisingly Spacious Long-Hauls
Air New Zealand dominated the wide-open Pacific skies in June, with JFK-AKL at just 54% and SFO-AKL not much higher. Dreaming of winter in Sydney? June might just be your window.
Load Factor | Route | Airline |
|---|---|---|
54% | New York (JFK) - Auckland (AKL) | Air New Zealand |
68% | San Francisco (SFO) - Sydney (SYD) | United |
69% | Los Angeles (LAX) - Auckland (AKL) | Air New Zealand |
70% | San Francisco (SFO) - Auckland (AKL) | Air New Zealand |
71% | San Francisco (SFO) - Melbourne (MEL) | United |
72% | Los Angeles (LAX) - Sydney (SYD) | Delta |
74% | Los Angeles (LAX) - Sydney (SYD) | United |
75% | Los Angeles (LAX) - Sydney (SYD) | Qantas |
From Kuwait to Addis Ababa, some less-obvious routes flew nearly empty. Kuwait Airways’ JFK–KWI stood out at 33%, making it the lowest load factor route in this entire list.
Load Factor | Route | Airline |
|---|---|---|
33% | New York (JFK) - Kuwait (KWI) | Kuwait Airways |
66% | Atlanta (ATL) - Addis Ababa | Ethiopian |
67% | New York (JFK) - Cartagena (CTG) | Avianca |
70% | New York (JFK) - Addis Ababa (ADD) | Ethiopian |
71% | Miami (MIA) - Medellin (MDE) | Avianca |
74% | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - Managua (MGA) | Spirit |
77% | New York (JFK) - Mumbai (BOM) | Air India |
77% | San Francisco (SFO) - Nadi (NAN) | Fiji Airways |
What This Means for Passriders
June 2024 was unusually generous for international nonrevs—especially if you were willing to go long-haul. And with many of these routes continuing this June, now’s your chance to swoop in before summer peaks.
If your airline isn’t listed in this roundup, don’t worry! Check your airline’s staff travel agreements to see which carriers you can ZED on. Many of these routes are operated by airlines that participate in interline agreements, meaning you might have more options than you think. Whether it’s a legacy carrier, a leisure airline, or an international partner, a little research into your ZED agreements can open up a whole new world of possibilities. Check out our detailed guide on ZED travel for more details.
Airlines adjust schedules, and demand shifts based on holidays, events, and aircraft swaps year-over-year. However, if you’re hoping to score a seat next month, these routes could be your best bet for an open cabin.
Which of these routes are you eyeing for June 2025? Tell us what’s tempting you.
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