| System Total Expense per Equivalent Seat Mile (CESM) | ||||||||||||||
| STAGE LENGTH ADJUSTED | ||||||||||||||
| Cents per Equivalent Seat Mile | ||||||||||||||
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | ||
| American | 10.86 | 10.42 | 10.72 | 10.72 | 10.68 | 11.69 | 13.18 | 11.96 | 12.31 | 11.99 | 12.94 | 13.42 | 13.92 | |
| Continental | 8.48 | 9.30 | 9.57 | 10.02 | 10.36 | 11.32 | 11.36 | 11.37 | 10.77 | 14.01 | 14.91 | 15.40 | 15.62 | |
| Delta | 8.40 | 9.02 | 8.56 | 8.59 | 8.69 | 9.08 | 9.64 | 9.80 | 12.37 | 12.55 | 12.79 | 14.31 | 15.17 | |
| Northwest | 9.14 | 9.13 | 8.99 | 9.60 | 9.01 | 9.83 | 10.38 | 10.35 | 10.12 | 12.05 | 13.67 | 13.02 | 12.88 | |
| United | 9.87 | 10.31 | 10.52 | 10.23 | 10.32 | 11.72 | 13.36 | 12.80 | 12.22 | 12.93 | 14.20 | 14.78 | 15.06 | |
| US Airways | 9.40 | 10.42 | 11.03 | 10.77 | 11.34 | 11.44 | 11.79 | 11.68 | 12.12 | 11.92 | 11.89 | 13.43 | 13.97 | |
| America West | 6.53 | 7.13 | 6.85 | 6.98 | 7.31 | 8.29 | 8.95 | 8.01 | 7.89 | 8.29 | 11.35 | - | - | |
| --sub Network | 9.42 | 9.74 | 9.79 | 9.83 | 9.90 | 10.75 | 11.69 | 11.29 | 11.68 | 12.40 | 13.33 | 14.04 | 14.45 | |
| Southwest | 4.80 | 5.13 | 5.09 | 5.09 | 5.28 | 5.60 | 5.51 | 5.51 | 5.65 | 5.78 | 6.00 | 6.64 | 6.90 | |
| jetBlue | - | - | - | - | - | 8.20 | 6.79 | 7.02 | 6.81 | 6.89 | 7.82 | 8.20 | 8.47 | |
| AirTran | - | - | 7.57 | 6.45 | 5.78 | 6.93 | 6.94 | 6.33 | 6.34 | 6.52 | 7.34 | 7.54 | 7.62 | |
| Frontier | 6.54 | 7.56 | 7.68 | 7.76 | 7.34 | 8.65 | 8.65 | 8.55 | 7.75 | 9.18 | 9.85 | 9.94 | 9.82 | |
| ATA | 6.25 | 6.75 | 6.90 | 6.27 | 6.54 | 7.71 | 8.69 | 8.22 | 7.52 | 10.25 | 12.22 | 11.62 | 5.48 | |
| -- sub LCC | 5.18 | 5.63 | 5.72 | 5.55 | 5.62 | 6.15 | 6.19 | 6.15 | 6.18 | 6.71 | 7.08 | 7.42 | 7.39 | |
| Alaska | 7.30 | 7.52 | 7.76 | 7.50 | 7.94 | 9.40 | 9.31 | 9.14 | 9.03 | 9.44 | 10.00 | 11.04 | 11.19 | |
| Hawaiian | 4.59 | 4.71 | 4.86 | 4.75 | 9.08 | 5.75 | 5.77 | 7.54 | 6.92 | 7.57 | 8.03 | 8.27 | 8.27 | |
| Midwest | 9.86 | 10.95 | 10.84 | 10.69 | 10.45 | 11.84 | 11.69 | 10.53 | 9.96 | 9.56 | 9.78 | 10.12 | 11.40 | |
| -- sub Other | 7.05 | 7.29 | 7.47 | 7.29 | 8.45 | 8.82 | 8.77 | 9.13 | 8.70 | 9.15 | 9.63 | 10.41 | 10.64 | |
| Base Length of Haul | 844 | 874 | 891 | 910 | 930 | 936 | 957 | 968 | 1,007 | 1,041 | 1,062 | 1,088 | 1,095 | |
| Note: Shaded data means data appear questionable. | ||||||||||||||
| Note: Stage Length Adjustment formula: ((observed length of haul/base length of haul [15 carrier average])^.5) times respective carrier unit cost. | ||||||||||||||
| Data Source: US DOT Form 41 via BTS, Schedules P6 & T2. | ||||||||||||||