John,

We just released a new report on how major airlines have avoided billions in taxes. The nation’s largest airlines paid only a 7.5% tax rate on $6.4 billion in profits―little more than half what the average American household pays.[1] Some airlines paid as little as 4%. Ordinary taxpayers would never get away with this. Airlines only got this deal because Trump rewrote the tax system to benefit corporations and wealthy insiders.

Airlines used these tax giveaways to hand out huge rewards to shareholders instead of investing in passengers, workers, or infrastructure. Executives saved up to $18.6 million on their personal returns. Meanwhile, these airlines increased junk fees, shrank seats, and locked in record delays, then bragged about their strong financial performance while Americans struggled to afford holiday travel.

The public knows exactly what happened. Tickets got more expensive. Travel got more chaotic. Customer service collapsed. Airlines got richer. Tax breaks for the rich fueled every part of it.

Our activism and reporting are critical to forcing Congress to confront a broken tax system that enables airline tax dodging. But we can’t do this without your support. Rush a donation today!

Airlines are already lobbying to keep their Trump-era windfalls. They are pouring millions into efforts to block reform. They want another decade of low taxes, high fees, and unlimited buybacks. They want a system where passengers pay more and CEOs pay less.

If voters stop paying attention, airline executives will continue shaping tax policy behind closed doors and set the terms of every future debate. Their lobbyists are already pushing arguments that paint oversight as unnecessary and portray fair taxation as a threat to the industry. They want lawmakers to believe the status quo is normal when in reality it is the result of political choices that put corporate interests first.

The only way to break that cycle is with a surge of public pressure that cannot be ignored. Lawmakers need to hear directly from people who are done subsidizing corporate excess while getting nothing in return. We can drive that pressure and make it impossible for Congress to pretend these abuses are acceptable. But that requires a powerful response from people who refuse to let airlines write their own rules again.

If you are tired of fees, delays, and corporate greed, this is your moment to act. Donate now so we can stop airline tax dodgers before they get another free ride.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:

Let’s stop airline tax dodging for good.

Pablo Willis
Communications Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund

[1] This Thanksgiving, Airline Passengers and Workers Are Worse Off As Companies Dodge Taxes to Make Their Top Execs and Shareholders Richer.

-- David's email --

John,

Thanksgiving travelers are stuck in crowded terminals and long lines while airlines celebrate the savings they pocketed from Trump’s corporate tax law. Our new analysis shows the five biggest airlines paid only a 7.5% federal income tax rate on $6.4 billion in profits over seven years―little more than half what the average American household pays.[1] Meanwhile, we’re paying higher fees while receiving worse service.

Families paid rising prices for checked bags, seat assignments, and basic travel needs. Airlines did not lower ticket prices. They did not improve customer service. They did not hire more staff. They simply squeezed travelers to boost payouts to executives and shareholders.

Wealthy airline shareholders collected $4.8 billion in dividend payouts and more than $15 billion in stock buybacks, all while customer complaints hit record highs for delays, cancellations, tarmac failures, lost luggage, and overcrowded flights that make the holidays miserable for millions.

Trump’s tax law cut the corporate tax rate and opened loopholes that let airlines avoid paying what they owe. Delta, Southwest, and United together paid only 4% on their profits. Many teachers, nurses, service workers, and veterans pay more than that in federal taxes. Airlines got richer by exploiting the tax code while simultaneously making air travel more expensive. We need your help to expose and stop the airline tax dodge.

Please make a contribution right now to hold airlines accountable and demand a tax system that puts taxpayers first, not wealthy shareholders and CEOs. Instead of tax loopholes, we’re demanding major airlines pay their fair share in taxes and invest in travelers’ needs, not shareholder giveaways.

Airline employees did not share in the benefits. Top executives received 260 times more in compensation than median-paid workers. If airlines had used the money they spent on buybacks to raise wages, the average worker would have received an extra $47,000. Instead, those funds were funneled upward to wealthy investors who never wait in security lines or fight over shrinking overhead space.

Airlines used shell companies, tax tricks, and accounting games to drive down their tax obligations while passengers faced record inconvenience. Trump’s rollback of critical consumer protection rules made it easier for airlines to delay, cancel, and strand customers without paying compensation for the disruptions they caused. They worked hand in hand with the administration to bury regulations that would have required up to $775 in compensation for flight delays.

This system is not simply broken. It is rigged. Trump built a tax code that rewards corporate greed and punishes working Americans. Airlines are the proof. They got the windfall. We got the bill.

This is the moment to demand change, and we need your help to win this fight. Donate now and help us hold airline tax dodgers accountable.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:

Let’s make the airlines pay their fair share.

David Kass
Executive Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund