Tue, Aug 18, 2009
Estimates Are For An Eight-Day Labor Day Holiday Travel
Period
The Air Transport Association of
America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S.
airlines, forecasts that 16 million passengers will travel globally
on U.S. airlines during the eight-day Labor Day holiday period,
spanning Wed., Sept. 2 through Wed., Sept. 9. This is a decline of
approximately 3.5 percent from the 17 million passengers estimated
to have traveled on U.S. airlines during the same period last
year.
The projected decline consists of a 3.5 percent drop in domestic
travel and a 3.0 percent drop in international travel despite
systemwide year-over-year average-fare declines in each of the
first six months of this year. The deep global recession and
unnaturally high and volatile energy prices are the primary drivers
of the expected reduction in passenger volumes.
“Passengers should expect airports to be less crowded, but
planes will be at or near capacity during this Labor Day holiday
period,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May.
“Economic uncertainty and persistently high energy prices for
consumers and businesses continue to impact demand for air travel.
Now is a great time to fly. Low fares are making travel to all
corners of the world very affordable.”
Looking ahead through the end of
2009, the economic climate’s toll on air service is evident
in the schedule. The most current schedule filings for October
through December, for example, show 22 percent fewer domestic
departures than in the same period of 2000 – a reduction of
approximately 6,660 flights per day. Also, over the past two years,
all 67 airports defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as
large or medium hubs show a reduction in the number of scheduled
flights.
ATA encourages passengers to consult its new resource page,
providing recommended travel tips. In particular, passengers are
encouraged to keep in mind the following:
- Passengers should be aware that they will be asked to provide
their date of birth and gender when making a reservation, as part
of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Secure Flight
program. Travelers should expect no change in the travel
experience, however, as a result of this security initiative.
- All passengers are strongly encouraged to review the Web site
of the airline on which they are flying for respective policies,
amenities, customer service plans and flight-operation alert
notifications.
- During this travel period especially, passengers are reminded
to plan ahead and provide plenty of time for airport check-in and
security screening. Remember that TSA requires that air travelers
follow its 3-1-1 Rule for liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on
bags when passing through security checkpoints.
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