Airlines Increase Prices, Decrease Quality, and Sales Plunge

By, Meredith Anderson

It’s frustrating that because of our current economic conditions that vacations and gateways seem way too expensive to afford. Ticket sales have increased largely in the last two years. Even with special offers sales are still much lower than they were only a short twelve months ago. The truth is that flying isn’t the experience it used to be. The once amenities that once made the flying more comfortable and enjoyable will now cost you quite a bit extra. For a meal and a pillow and blanket might now run you up to $25 additional dollars on top of your pricey ticket. Before you even board the plane you are faced with additional fees. Baggage fees and booking fees have become somewhat of a serious inconvenience for many flyers. It’s not only American airlines as well as European and other major airlines. “Customers are struggling to survive in the current market and the very last thing they need is a cost increase,” said the AEA’s Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus. Not only are individuals themselves cutting travel, businesses have trimmed down there travel budgets relatively a lot. According to a recent survey conducted by Business Travel Coalition one in four companies have called for emergency cuts of travel budget in response to this finical crisis. With the economy the way it is, airlines are just going to have to take a back seat to our current finances.

Sources:
http://blog.taragana.com/n/airlines-say-airport-fee-increases-are-hurting-ability-to-weather-economic-crisis-117129/
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/why-global-financial-crisis-forces-travel-cuts-822340.html
http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news-views/blogs/nathalie-bonney/2009-07-09/are-low-cost-airlines-really%E2%80%A6-low-cost