The airline industry hasn’t had it easy in many, many years. But now that things are starting to look up in the economy, airlines are happily finding themselves with more paying customers paying more for their tickets.

• The airline industry is finally recovering from the blows dealt by 9/11 and the global economic crisis… which means higher ticket prices for everyone.
• This holiday season – the biggest travel season of the year – customers can expect to see fare increases of 7% to 18% over last year’s prices.
• Because many travelers have been avoiding flying to save money, recent optimism about the economy is catapulting them back into airports. At the same time, airlines haven’t increased the number of routes or planes in their fleets.

Facts & Figures

• The airline industry lost $58 billion between 2001 and 2009.
• For the first time in 10 years, 86.3% of all available seats were filled on major airlines in June.
• An estimated 41 million Americans will fly this November and December.

Best Quote

“It’s all about supply and demand. When people want to travel, it’s going to be more expensive.” – Tim Smith, Spokesman for American Airlines