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Air travelers angry about long delays and cancelled flights will likely get relief well before the start of the next summer's travel season. Government regulators, airline and airport executives and consumer representatives are meeting weekly, and they expect to produce a plan by early December to reduce delays at three major New York area airports -- LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty. That will have a beneficial effect far beyond the immediate area -- about three-fourths of chronic delays around the country can be traced back to congestion at these three airports. This year is shaping up to be the worst on record, with almost 28% of all flights delayed, cancelled or diverted.
As part of the solution, the airlines will cut back on flights. They'll probably agree voluntarily because if they don't, the government will force them. "The airlines are looking down the barrel of a gun. What choice do they have?" says one airport executive. The airlines want to head off any possibly harmful moves by the government to implement measures such as "congestion pricing," in which airlines would be charged more for landing during busy periods. Government regulators have mentioned congestion pricing as one of the ideas under consideration.
Fewer flights will mean less-convenient schedules and higher fares, as more travelers fight for limited seating. That's what happened in Chicago in 2004 when airlines voluntarily reduced the number of flights from 128 flights per hour to 88 at the urging of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This tactic, along with higher prices, brought a 25% reduction in delays.
Congress will keep the heat on the airlines and the FAA. Rep. Jerry F. Costello (D-IL), chairman of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation, pledges to hold hearings at least once every three months to check on progress in addressing the problem. Lawmakers also are expected to pass legislation reauthorizing the FAA soon, which will include modernization of the nation's aging air traffic control system. Moving from a land-based to a satellite-based system will accommodate more airplanes. However, the system won't be in place for at least eight years.
These changes won't come quickly enough to help with this year's holiday season, which will feature crowded and pricey flights. Holiday airfares will be up as much as 5%, on average, from last year, the result of continuing strong demand and higher jet fuel prices. Bargains will be scarce and limited off-peak times. For example…flying on Thanksgiving Day rather than a day or two before.
Allow some leeway in case a flight is delayed or cancelled. Since planes will be fuller, if there is a problem with a flight, it will be harder to get a seat on another plane. "In other words, if you have to be at work on Monday morning, leave on Saturday, not Sunday," says Terry Trippler, an independent travel consultant.
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POSTED BY: faahope (October 16, 2007 08:02 PM)
They still don't get it. until there are more runways and more eyes watching them there will be delays.
POSTED BY: gina pogol (November 01, 2007 05:12 PM)
How about more comfort? That's top for me, the legroom has gotten so awful (I'm only 5'6" and I'm miserable on most flights), the congestion they should get rid of is on the actual plane, not the airport. I remember that American had a program where you could pay an extra $50 for 6 more inches of room, why can't they all do that?
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