Forbes’ Post

New on Forbes: In the four days immediately after Trump's "Liberation Day" announcement, U.S. consumers pulled back on booking airline tickets, according to credit and debit card spending data from Consumer Edge. As shown by the chart embedded in this story, there is a clear inflection point on Apr 2, followed by a noticeable decline. It's the most dramatic hard data I've seen tying the tariffs to negative real-time consumer discretionary spending. When it comes to reading tea leaves, watch airline spending. “We get a clearer read from airlines because we’re seeing exactly when credit and debit cards are charged,” Michael Gunther, CFA explained. “If you book an airline ticket today, your credit card statement is going to show a transaction date of today.” Comparatively, hotel spending is less clean because the spending data is split between those travelers who pay upfront at the time of booking and those who pay at the end of their stay. “The good thing about the airline data is it’s actually reflecting intention, and it’s a much better real-time view of how people feel.” Huge thanks to Michael for sharing his data and insights with me. #discretionaryspending #airlines #traveldemand #economy #consumersentiment #airlinetrends https://lnkd.in/et6cNPcS