American Passengers Stay Home On 9/11

Airlines in the United States remembered the September 11th terror attacks of two years ago by canceling more than 3200 domestic flights.

"For the airline business, Sept. 11 has taken on the Friday-the-13th syndrome," said Sam Barone, president of Transportation Partners, a Canadian transportation consulting firm.

Airline executives think Americans are still leery of flying because of the attacks in 2001. But air travel bookings have started to inch upwards. US Airways spokesman David Castelveter believes many people have put such fears behind them.

"I think travelers today realize that security has been significantly stepped up, and for the most part, they're comfortable with flying," he said.

International bookings were down only six percent, compared to 16 percent in the US. Lufthansa dropped four of today's flights from Frankfurt to New York, Washington and Philadelphia, as well as from Munich to New York. British Airways also canceled some of its flights to the US.

There's no doubt that special airfare deals are the wave of the future. The difference, however, between this year and last, is that the specials aren't so great in number.

They're not as desperate, either.

FMI: www.air-transport.org