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Bad Weather? Good Luck at the Airport / Delays Can Be Longer, and Hit More Fliers, Because Cost Cuts Have Reduced Available Seats

Posted on: Thursday, 9 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By CHIP JONES

Otis Fulton, who flies more than 200,000 miles a year on business, has felt the pinch of limited airline seating.

That's especially true when the weather turns bad, something that affected thousands of travelers last weekend in a record-setting snowstorm in the Northeast.

Fulton, a Richmond-based business executive, struggled to get home about three weeks ago after a Midwest ice storm disrupted airports across the region.

"I waited from 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Detroit airport waiting for a flight," he said. Only his preferred-traveler status on Northwest Airlines got him a seat.

"I was lucky to get out," he said.

Most people aren't so lucky when delays or cancellations happen, whether they're caused by weather or mechanical mishaps.

During the past year, airlines have cut the number of flights and are using smaller jets to return to profitability.

Whether it's Delta Air Lines, which remains in bankruptcy protection, or US Airways, which emerged last fall, Richmond's two leading carriers have moved aggressively to cut costs. All airlines, even low-fare carriers such as AirTran Airways, have been hit by high fuel prices and are watching their pennies.

The economic pain trickles down to frequent fliers, including Fulton.

"There are so many fewer seats out there," he said. And when you throw in bad weather, "there's a domino effect, and not that many dominoes on the board."

Air carriers had to do something after losing $32.3 billion between 2001 and 2004, according to David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, the airlines' trade group in Washington. The ATA estimated a $10 billion loss for its members in 2005 but has projected profits in 2006 if the price of jet fuel drops.

Every dollar increase in the price of a barrel of oil adds nearly $1.3 million in daily operating expenses for the industry, the trade group says.

The profit squeeze has created a seating squeeze. The major airlines are using about 20 percent fewer airplanes than they were in mid-2001.

So when bad weather hits, expect delays and some inconvenience.

Another reason for the space squeeze is the demise of the airlines' hub-and-spoke system. Until the industry downturn started about five years ago, travelers could count on "banks" of planes at hub airports, including Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., and Pittsburgh.

No more, said George Hoffer, an economics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

"It's amazing how little flexibility there is in the system now," he said. "If you're a seasoned traveler, you become aware of this problem and schedule when it's least likely to be canceled."

The problem won't go away with warmer weather, Hoffer said.

"I think we'll really see it this summer when we see thunderstorms again," he said. "Where you used to have a three- or four-hour delay until the next bank of flights, it becomes half a day."

What's a tired traveler to do?

"The earliest and latest planes are generally the most protected planes," he said, because airlines often position planes and crews with those flights in mind.

Castelveter cautioned against making such assumptions, though. Sometimes, he said, airlines try to get travelers out of town in the afternoon or early evening before the snow falls.

IN THE WINTER AVOID ...

--New York's La Guardia

--Philadelphia International

--Boston's Logan International

--Chicago's O'Hare

IN THE SUMMER AVOID ...

--Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International

--Dallas/Fort Worth International

--Florida airports (especially during hurricane season)

BEFORE THE SNOW FALLS

Bad weather can be stressful on airline travelers, especially in the current space-crunched environment. Here are some ideas from travel pros:

Timing is everything: The first flight out usually is the most dependable of the day.

Think like a forecaster: During the winter, it makes sense to travel south to make flight connections at such hubs as Atlanta and Dallas. By shunning Chicago or New York, you may avoid getting snowed in. (In the summer, head north, since Southern airports can get hit by thunderstorms and hurricanes).

Check flight status the night before: Airlines may change flight times if a storm is threatening. Airline Web sites are best place to check.

Look for deals: If you're "bumped" from a flight, ask to be reimbursed. Otherwise, ask for a free ticket, not frequent-flier points, which often come with strings attached.

Use the squeaky-wheel rule: Airlines hate complaint letters, so if you still haven't gotten satisfaction, send a detailed account - with documentation - to the airline's consumer-complaint office.

Contact staff writer Chip Jones at cjones@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6726.

ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO

Source: Richmond Times - Dispatch

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