Airline tickets for cheap getting harder to come by

Airline Tickets For Cheap Becoming Rarer

Airline tickets for cheap are more difficult to get these days as airlines take advantage of a spike in travel demand and try to offset rising aviation fuel prices.

U.S. carriers have been jacking up airfares at the fastest pace since 2009, and passengers should expect airline tickets to become even more expensive. Domestic airfares were up $10 this weekend -- already the fourth hike in 2011.

Airlines are trying to raise prices to recover losses in past years without scaring away travelers still wary of high travel expenses.

Competitors often go toe to toe with each other in setting up hikes to gauge passenger demand. If travelers keep booking then carriers are expected to raise airfares further. Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines was the first to increase prices, and the other major airlines quickly followed.

Surging fuel prices are also playing a part in the hikes. During the downturn, airlines have been reluctant to pass along the added cost to passengers. Now that demand has picked up, they are looking to offset the extra cost.

The chaos in the Middle East and North Africa have driven up oil prices further. Volatility in the oil market can only mean higher fuel costs for airlines. High fuel prices and an upsurge in travel demand can both contribute to higher airfares this year according to analysts.

Travelers are now being charged with extra fees like reservation fees, extra luggage fees and on-board food that are used to be factored into a single price of airline tickets.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Thursday February 24 2011, 4:36 AM EST. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0