To what extent is rising dissatisfaction with the airline and TSA security experiences, combined with rising air fares, putting the skids on summer travel plans.
We're going on anecdotal information here.
But according to a recent online survey conducted by LowFares.com among its subscribers, potential travelers are giving up and not going on vacation. Some 63% said they were cancelling plans altogether because of rising airfares and non-stop hike in the price of gas. More than 15,000 people responded to the online survey from among LowFares.com 1.5 million subscribers -- who were also asked about summer driving plans.
According to the responses:
--Nearly three-quarters said fuel and airfare increases have impacted their travel plans.
--Nearly two-thirds said they cancelled their trips.
--Just over a third said they changed destinations, or shortened itineraries.
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By JOE SHARKEY
So far, I haven't canceled; but I've budgeted for $6/gallon on a visit to Yellowstone.
ReplyDeleteFlying hassles mean that yesterday was the third anniversary of my last flight, and from 1996-2007 I flew enough to be elite every year,
I think people who do cancel their flights are those people who are not really that bent on flying because of an important reason. Canceling your vacation trips by plane travel is just fine but if it's really important, the oil price hike won't even matter. I'm speaking in view of a businessman although when it comes to practicality, canceling a flight is better than being robbed of hard earned money.
ReplyDeleteHow long can this keep up? I know that in the 50s and 60s during the dawn of mass air travel there were prices like $65 roundtrip from SFO to JFK (or maybe I'm just imagining it) but I just bought two roundtrips from YUL to KIX and I'm terrified to look at the bill . . . it's going to be nearing the $7,000 mark. For that money I could put my kid in a semi-prestigious university for half a year.
ReplyDeleteIs commercial flying again going to revert to the privileged few? Because let me tell you, I'm feeling more and more like the Great Unwashed every single day.
At least back in the old days they didn't charge you seven bucks for a lousy martini.