Around the Net

Passengers Paying The Price For Low Fares: No Elbow Room

Is it just you, or is it really getting more crowded in airplane cabins these days? Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows that you're not alone in feeling the squeeze, Nathan Hurst reports. The load factor -- or number of filled seats -- reached more than 84% this summer, typically the busiest time for airlines.

For the airlines, increasing the number of passengers on board each flight is a simple matter of balance-sheet survival. But the process of packing fliers into what some already think of as "flying sardine cans" also breeds horror stories of personal space infringement, carry-on storage scuffles and battles over who gets the arm rest.

Analysts say the trend of packed planes isn't likely to reverse itself anytime soon. "Airlines are simply meeting the consumer at the point where the low fares they demand can bring a meaningful profit for them," says Bill Swelbar, a research analyst at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Airline Data Project.

advertisement

advertisement

Read the whole story at Detroit News »

Next story loading loading..