Southwest Airlines cuts 2026 profit forecast on higher fuel

Southwest Airlines became the third major U.S. airline this month to cut its 2026 profit forecast due to higher fuel prices.

The carrier expects to earn between $2.60 and $2.85 cents a share on an adjusted basis this year, down from its forecast in July of between $3.25 to as much as $4.25 a share.

Here’s what Southwest reported for third quarter compared with Wall Street expectations, according to consensus estimates from LSEG:

• Earnings per share: 66 cents adjusted vs. 58 cents expected
• Revenue: $8.42 billion adjusted vs. $8.25 billion expected

“Demand remained strong as we lapped last year’s bag fee and other commercial initiatives, reinforcing our belief that the earnings power we’ve built is durable, even with significantly higher fuel costs,” CEO Bob Jordan said in an earnings release.

Under pressure to grow revenue, Southwest has been remaking its longtime business model in the past several years, scrapping its old policies like two free checked bags per passenger and open seating. In its place, Southwest has started charging for many seat assignments and added a bag fee, similar to major competitors.