In the News: Summertime Air Travel Predicted to Be Busier

After a harsh winter, Americans are determined to pack their bags and travel this summer, even though they will have to pay a little bit more if they choose to fly.

Airlines for America, the trade group for most of the major carriers in the USA, predicts roughly 210 million fliers will take to the skies on U.S. airlines this summer, the most in six years, and 1.5% more than the number who flew last summer.

Among them will be a record-setting number of passengers traveling abroad, with Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Germany and Japan the most popular international locales for a summertime visit. International flights are expected to ferry 29.9 million passengers.

Job growth, growing personal income and airfares that have been rising more slowly than inflation and some consumer goods, are all helping boost the demand for air travel.

Customer satisfaction with airlines has also reaches a record high. With fares remaining stable, customer satisfaction with the airline industry is at a record high, according to an annual study released Wednesday.

On a 1,000-point scale, customer satisfaction reached 712, a 17-point increase from the same study last year when the previous record of 695 was established, according to the 2014 airline satisfaction study by J.D. Power.

The study found that the greatest influence on overall satisfaction came in the category of costs and fees, whose satisfaction score improved to 642 from 618 last year.

Airlines are adding seats to deal with the summer crush, and planes should be about 85% to 87% full, the same as last year.

But passengers flying between June 1 and Aug. 31 will see some changes that they didn't experience in 2013, such as their pick of dozens more destinations and upgraded facilities at airports around the country, like the new Terminal B at Boston's Logan Airport where fliers can tag their own bags and even scan their own boarding passes before walking onto the plane.

Flying will cost a bit more. The average domestic fare from June 8 though Aug. 25 will be 2% higher than during that period in 2013.

Come summer, the highest fares are likely to be seen on the most coveted flights, such as a non-stop departing late morning on a Friday, or those heading to the most popular destinations. Still, there are bargains to be had, if you're flexible.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com