2008 Air Travel Outlook: Lost Luggage, On-Time Arrivals and Profit Projections

The 2008 outlook for air travel means more delays and possibly higher fares. The 2008 air travel outlook is going to inspire many travelers in the USA to look at places where the US dollar is will spend better, like in this country! Here's the rundown on the 2008 air travel outlook.

It appears that 2007 will be a record for airline passenger numbers. Still, 2008 is going to be harder on the air travel industry, with the outlook more negatively projected due to higher oil prices, possibly less flights into cities like the New York area, and no end in sight to the lost luggage issue.

Departure and Arrival Times

According to a January 6, 2008 article written by Beth J. Harpaz of the Associated Press, posted at Ohio.com, the issue of airline travel delays is starting to be addressed a bit because of the proposal to cut the number of flights going in and out of John F. Kennedy International Airport. Yet the downside to this means less travel to this airport; and thus, passengers going to JFK could see prices increase because there is less supply.

Fewer flights can also mean less profits for the airlines, too, but this could be offset, too, since more travelers are going to be booking tickets to other New York area airports like LaGuardia and Newark unless they prefer not to be bothered with the inconvenience and pricier tickets for air travel.

With domestic airlines in America carrying just under 600 million passengers from January to September of 2007, this could make last year the busiest ever, but since no major steps have yet to be taken to reduce airline congestion, which is still projected to be busy for 2008, the same article by Harpaz quotes Air Travelers Association president David Stempler as saying "two-hour delays will become the new normal" for 2008. 24 per cent of flights in the US were late arrivals for the first ten months of last year!

Lower Profit Projections For Airlines This Year