Love Those Airlines

A big thanks for all those folks who stopped by our booth yesterday at the Abilene Expo.  The Travel Factory and Supertravel have had a presence at this business extravaganza for 30 of it’s 31 years, and we enjoy visiting with other businesses in town and many of our clients and friends who have allowed us the pleasure of helping with their travel arrangements.

Lots of talk yesterday about “where is the best beach place to go”, or “which cruise is the best value”, or “where can I go and really get away and not cost a whole lot of money”.  There were also a lot of questions about air travel, especially in light of the crash of the German carrier in the Alps this week.

I can tell you that the airlines are doing quite well financially.  The 2014 numbers are in now and the 10 publicly traded airlines in the United States reported a total of $7.3 billion in profit.  Those ten airlines are Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airlines.  That report was the industry’s most profitable year ever.

Not in the report was the ancillary income such as the baggage fees, preferred seating charges, and ticket change fees, but just recently we read that these fees account for $3-$4 billion in income for these airlines.  Additionally, the fuel surcharges that they continue to collect have added considerably to their bottom line.  In contrast, many European airlines have begun reducing the fuel surcharges, so that now it is less expensive to fly from some European cities to the U. S. than it is for us to fly to those European cities. Go figure!!

We reported last fall that Southwest Airlines had started some direct, non-stop flights from Love Field to about 10 cities.  They have had great success in this development, so much so that they are planning to open additional direct, non-stop flights to other cities in the U. S. from Love Field.  Beginning on August 9, they plan to offer flights to Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, Salt Lake City, and Omaha.  If they will put the prices to those locations at a reasonable and competitive basis, I can guarantee that they will severely impact American Airlines lift to those cities from DFW.  One reason that gets the travelers attention is they would not be charged for luggage on Southwest.

Whether you are flying, cruising, or touring, the professional and experienced travel agents at The Travel Factory are anxious to help you with your plans.  For sure we can save you loads of time and effort, plus, in most cases, we can save you money on your overall trip, while at the same time, give you some tips along the way.  You can find us at 4150 Southwest Drive at the Plaza at Park Central, or on the phone at 698-1421 or toll-free 800-760-4040, or our website is:www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com.  We look forward to being at your service.