Airlines Cutting Back On Flights

Airlines have been trimming flights for the past two years, matching the falling demand for air travel, and it could soon get worse. Additional capacity cuts are under way at American, the nation’s second-largest carrier, and at third-largest United, according to the Associated Press.

Most big airlines depend heavily on a relatively small chunk of passengers who pay the highest fares, “and that’s generally business travelers,” said Robert Mann, an aviation consultant in Port Washington, NY.

Less capacity means consumers will be left with fewer flights to choose from and planes will be crowded. Fewer seats normally means higher fares but that might not happen this time unless the economy picks up and passenger traffic increases.