Fewer Flights, Less Choice: When Airlines Cut Back, Does Anybody Win?

Most of the major US airlines recently announced their slimmest flight schedule since just after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. As anyone who works in the travel industry knows only too well, there is still a recession on; but what exactly does all this mean for the typical business traveler and can you expect this trend to continue?

Biggest Cuts Since 9/11

Most US airlines have been quietly trimming their flight schedules for the past couple of years or so, for several reasons: a lower demand for air travel, higher fuel prices, and the overall poor economy. The Air Transport Association predicts that US airlines will offer fewer than 12.5 billion seat miles during the 4th quarter of 2009, compared to 12.1 billion during the 4th quarter of 2001, when airlines were still reeling from the effects of 9/11. A seat mile is the airlines' standard formula for measuring capacity and is the number of seats on the plane multiplied by the number of miles flown.

What Does This Mean to You?

Fewer flights generally means less choice, of course - particularly annoying for the business traveler who is used to having plenty of flights to choose from. If you are a large airline losing a lot of money, why offer 12 flights a day between Chicago and New York when you can have just eight? Unfortunately, most of these cuts are in these busy markets - those in which there might be a dozen or more flights per day, rather than a destination with just one daily flight. For the leisure traveler looking for the lowest fare, this doesn't make a big difference; for the business traveler, whose time is more valuable, it could mean several unnecessary hours being spent away from the office.

In addition to cutting back the number of flights, airlines are introducing smaller planes on many routes, in an effort to fill up the space and perhaps make a profit. Some markets, even those that involve a flight of several hours, are now served largely by smaller commuter planes, offering no first class, less choice of seating, less overhead bin space and generally more cramped conditions. And in general, if the capacity in a particular market is decreased, ticket prices tend to rise accordingly.

More Overbooked Flights, Less Choice of Seat

Fewer flights also tends to mean that there is a greater chance of your flight being overbooked. All airlines routinely overbook flights anyway, as they calculate that a certain number of people won't show up, for whatever reason. In 2008, over 60,000 airline passengers were bumped; 2009 will probably be much the same. Airline agents are required to tell you if a particular flight is overbooked, by the way, although they almost certainly won't volunteer that information. For the business traveler, an overbooked flight can mean being forced to take a later flight, leading to a missed appointment or meeting. The good news is that there are nearly always volunteers to take later flights, lured by the appeal of compensation; and if you have paid full fare for your ticket anyway, your chances of being bumped are slimmer.

A decrease in capacity can also mean less chance of getting an upgrade or a better seat in coach. Fewer flights in a market, or smaller planes, mean that the remaining planes are going to fill up much faster. If you are flying a commuter plane or a regional jet, there is also no chance of an upgrade, as there is no first class cabin. (All the seats are first class, as the old joke goes!) Airlines can even occasionally substitute a smaller plane for a larger one, meaning that you lose your assigned seat and have a greater chance of being bumped. Here's some good news: If you are traveling on business and are flying on a full fare ticket, you are entitled to certain blocked or premium seating, such as bulkhead or exit row, which offer extra legroom.

Is There a Light at the End of the Tunnel?

There isn't much that you can do about all of this. Most experts seem to think the recession has bottomed out and things will slowly start to improve. Even if this is not the case, there is some good news - flight delays actually decreased by around 5 percent, between March 2008 and March 2009; and airlines are losing fewer bags too. And you may even notice fewer, shorter lines at your local airport, both for check in and security.