Cancelled flight? No news

Posted 05/10/2011

 US airlines are canceling flights at the fastest rate in a decade, according to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

“Storms from blizzards to hurricanes wallop the busiest hubs, and full planes are making it harder for stranded travelers to rebook trips,” says Bloomberg News.

Delta, United and other big carriers have scrubbed more than 104,000 flights this year through the end of September. That represents almost 2.4 percent of the total scheduled for that period, making it the highest amount since 2001, according to US government statistics.

Why?

A combination of bad weather in major markets such as New York and seating cutbacks to curb rising fuel costs, aviation officials say.

US airlines are now 24 percent more likely to cancel flights after the so-called three-hour tarmac rule that was imposed in April of last year, according to the Government Accounting Office. Some critics say the rule is harming passengers but it has proven popular among the general public.

Also impacting passengers is the fact the industry has cut capacity by 15 percent since 2008, according to recent statistics.

By David Wilkening

Originally published 5 Oct 2011 at: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/398/f/5923/s/19092e93/l/0L0Stravelmole0N0Cstories0C11496460Bphp0Dmpnlog0F1/story01.htm