Getting a handle on where easyJet is at present is not straightforward.
In theory, buoyant holiday demand and weaker fuel prices should mean good numbers but why then did the airline just cancel 1,700 flights over July, August and September?
The FTSE 250-listed group said the whole industry is in for a “challenging summer”, pointing to constrained airspace due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as the possibility of further air traffic control strikes on the continent.
That uncertainty is reflected in a share price that having roared away at the start of year has flatlined since February.
Expect the tone next week to still be bullish, but maybe expectations might be trimmed a little if the update is not as upbeat as some hope.
At the half year, Deutsche Bank, one of the fans, raised its full-year pre-tax profit forecasts for easyJet by 17% to around £436mln thanks to lower fuel costs and higher earnings from holiday packages, adding there is "ample room to go higher".
What the German bank says about next Thursday’s third-quarter update will be interesting.