Costs Reshaping Air Travel
By: Web Producer
Updated: May 1, 2008
Rising Costs Are Reshaping Air Travel In U.S.
Air travel is becoming more pricey thanks to record-high oil prices and millions of people who fly may find changes on the horizon.
"USA Today" cites airline executives and aviation analysts as saying that only extreme fare increases and dramatic cutbacks in flights will enable the industry to cover a 2008 jet fuel bill the airlines trade group projects will be 44-percent higher than last years.
Cutbacks would result in fewer daily flights in cities of all sizes, fewer non-stop flights and longer layovers.
Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson estimates ticket prices will have to increase 15-to-20 percent just to cover fuel costs.
The costlier future of air travel is already hitting air passengers.
Travelocity website reports that fares this summer to eight popluar destinations are already up by at least 18-percent since last summer.
Tom Parsons of the travel website BestFares.com predicts that some leisure travelers are going to be priced out of flights.
(Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions)
RNS-05-01-08 0331CDT
