See how airline ancillary revenue performance compares across carrier models and uncover where more of the traveler journey could be generating value.
Airline ancillary revenue reached a record $157 billion in 2025 and now accounts for an average of 15.7% of global airline revenue. Look beyond that average, though, and the differences between carriers are significant. Depending on the airline, ancillary revenue can represent anywhere from 3.2% to 62% of total revenue.
Some of that variation comes down to business model, geography, and customer mix. Some comes from the products an airline sells, how those products are merchandised, and how much of the traveler’s broader trip the carrier is equipped to capture.
The 2026 Airline Ancillary Revenue Benchmark Report examines those differences to help airline commercial teams put their own performance into context. Rather than treating one industry average as the standard, the report looks at the capabilities behind ancillary performance and how those capabilities vary across carrier types and regions.
See where your ancillary strategy stands
The report breaks ancillary revenue performance into five commercial levers: dynamic packaging, travel protection, premium upgrades and experiences, loyalty-driven ancillary commerce and direct-channel monetization.
Each lever looks at a different part of the traveler journey. Together, they provide a practical way to evaluate what your airline already does well, where capabilities may be fragmented and where traveler spend may still be moving outside your ecosystem.
Inside the guide, you’ll find:
-
How global ancillary revenue has grown from $67.4 billion in 2016 to $157 billion in 2025, and what’s driving that shift
-
Why ancillary performance varies so widely between airlines and why the 15.7% global average only tells part of the story
-
Benchmarks across dynamic packaging, travel protection, premium upgrades and experiences, loyalty and co-brand, and direct-channel monetization
-
How carrier model and regional dynamics change what a useful ancillary benchmark looks like
-
The metrics commercial teams can use to evaluate performance beyond gross ancillary revenue
-
Implementation considerations that can affect how quickly airlines develop or expand ancillary capabilities
-
An Ancillary Revenue Maturity Index to score your current capabilities and identify where deeper evaluation may be warranted
The report also looks at the connection between ancillary revenue and the broader airline retailing strategy. Dynamic packaging becomes more useful when it can draw on direct-channel data. Loyalty currency can expand how travelers pay across the trip. More relevant merchandising can help airlines connect existing travel demand with the right offer at the right point in the journey.
For airlines deciding where to focus next, the benchmark provides a way to move beyond broad industry averages and assess ancillary performance in the context of how your carrier actually operates.