With fuel prices remaining at near-record levels, US-based airlines are feeling the pinch; Southwest airlines is the most recent of the domestic US carriers to announce cutbacks in an attempt to offset the rising cost of fuel and sluggish US economy.
A Southwest Airline spokesman has indicated that the carrier will drop 196 domestic routes beginning in January 2009. This amounts to approximately 6% of Southwest’s schedule, which totals over 3000 daily flights. Southwest representatives were quick to point out, though, that some of the cut flights could be restored by the end of 2009, depending on demand and current fuel prices at that time.
Over its history, Southwest has been the most consistently profitable domestic airline in the US. Touting themselves as a low-cost alternative, the company has grown by stripping down its service to the bare essentials, and maintaining only profitable routes within the US.
As a so-called budget airline, Southwest does not offer as many features or extras as some of their competitors, particularly Delta and Continental. But that hasn’t stopped the company from expanding to over 60 regional airports in the United States. The company now boasts 530 passenger planes in its fleet — all are Boeing 737s, the workhorse short to medium-haul airplane of choice for most airlines.
But Southwest isn’t the only US carrier making cutbacks: Northwest, Continental, United and Delta Airlines have also made cuts in their schedule, services and staff. Even the countries largest air carrier, American Airlines, has announced that it will reduce its daily capacity by 8% beginning in September.
United airlines also plans to make cuts to its daily schedule, reportedly eliminating up to 16% of its domestic commuter flights next year.
Altogether, US air carriers are facing moderate to massive layoffs and schedule cuts, as the fuel bills for air carriers in the U. S. increase from about $41 billion last year to a projected $61 billion for 2008. These kinds of increases in flying costs have the airlines scrambling to reduce expenses anyway they can.
Four of the five largest carriers in the US have begun charging an extra fee per checked bags, and have reduced the weight allowance of baggage, meaning that more and more passengers will have to pay an “overweight baggage fee” in order to transport their belongings to their destination.
Even in-flight snacks, blankets and pillows are now being looked at as ways to recoup the airlines heavy investment in fuel. Of course, few if any of these changes will affect business and first-class passengers. But for those traveling in coach, air travel just became a whole lot more like taking the bus.
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Life changes as the economy does…And you know..we do adjust to it. The gas charges are ridiculous..But as we see them go down a bit…anything under 4.00 seems like a bargain…Funny how that goes. And soon paying for water, pillows and blankets will seem commonplace. We are all pretty resilient and can adjust when we have to…carol stanley author of For Kids 59.99 and Over
Comment by carol stanley — September 2, 2008 @ 5:29 pm