ATLANTA — Airline passengers will see fewer nonstop flights, less convenient travel options and possibly higher ticket prices and fees in the coming months as major carriers make big capacity cuts this fall season for the second year in a row.
Earnings reports for the April-June quarter this week showed airlines are desperate to raise revenue as they head into their traditionally slow period.
Six of nine major U.S. airlines reported profits in the quarter, but sales were down for most, thanks to weak demand and lower fares.
For seven U.S. airlines and their regional affiliates, the June yield — or average price a person pays to fly one mile — was almost 19 percent lower than a year earlier, according to the Air Transport Association.
“I think you’re really going to see overall less service, but you’ll still have service,” said Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines Co.’s executive vice president of strategy and planning.
U.S. domestic carriers provided 14.2 billion available seat miles a week in the fourth quarter of 2007. The figure two years later is expected to drop to 12.4 billion, rivaling numbers after the Sept. 21, 2001, terrorist attacks, ATA data shows.
The hits coming are broad-based. In the U.S, some parts of the Midwest and leisure points in Florida and Nevada will see reduced service. Overseas, parts of Europe and Asia will see big cuts.
In most cases, travelers will still be able to get from point A to point B, but they may have to take another carrier or connect through another airport, which means layovers and longer trips.
