Although airfares have been on the rise for the last year or so, there is good news for holiday travelers: Several of the nation’s largest airlines have dramatically (dramatically: in a very impressive manner; ... in a dramatic manner;) reduced the number of dates on which they will impose a peak-travel surcharge.
The fees, which range from $20 to $40, are typically added onto one-way fares for passengers (passengers: A traveler on a public or private conveyance other than the driver, pilot, or crew ... (passenger) a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it) who fly on such popular travel dates as the day before Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving: The expression of gratitude, esp. to God ... (in North America) An annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey. The holiday commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November. A similar holiday is held in Canada, usually on the second Monday in October) or the day after New Year’s Day.
Around this time last year, most of the largest airlines had already added peak-travel surcharges (surcharges: An additional charge or payment ... A charge made by assessors as a penalty for false returns of taxable property) to 18 dates between Nov. 18 and early January.
But so far Delta, American, United and Continental (Continental: An inhabitant of mainland Europe ... A member of the colonial army in the American Revolution) airlines have added the surcharge to only six peak travel days, according to Tom Parsons, chief executive of the travel website BestFares.com. The surcharges have been added for flights on Nov. 27 and 28, Dec. 22, 23 and 26 and Jan. 2, he said.
Several airline representatives (representatives: A person chosen or appointed to act or speak for another or others, in particular ... An agent of a firm who travels to potential clients to sell its products) confirmed the surcharges but declined to discuss why they are imposing the charges on only six dates instead of 18 or more.
Parsons said the reason some airlines are cutting back on peak-travel charges may be that they have already raised fares significantly (significantly: In a sufficiently great or important way as to be worthy of attention ... In a way that has a particular meaning) over the last year. Another reason for the cutback, he said, may be that airlines fear the sluggish economy and rising ticket prices will combine to kill the holiday travel season.
There are a few exceptions (exceptions: A person or thing that is excluded from a general statement or does not follow a rule ... (exception) a deliberate act of omission;) to the shift in tactics. US Airways, for example, has imposed surcharges on 19 days in November and December. Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, said it won’t impose any charges for traveling on peak-travel days.
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– Hugo Martin
Photo: Passengers wait in a terminal at Los Angeles International (International: Existing, occurring, or carried on between two or more nations ... Agreed on by all or many nations) Airport. Credit: Los Angeles Times.
