DENVER — There appears to be good news on the horizon for air travelers heading into the busy holiday travel season.
Airlines are planning to add capacity, which experts say could help to stabilize sky high airfare. One airline carrier hoping to make gains? Delta Airlines, which is expecting to post another profit in the last quarter of the year after record revenues over the summer months.
Delta Airlines says it should be at 92% capacity this December compared to December 2019 before the pandemic. Its leadership says it should hit 100% capacity by summer of next year.
Analysts say that could help to stabilize, if not bring down, airfare. Cost productivity means cost savings for consumers, which is welcome news for enthusiastic leisure travelers.
“It would be great if things get a little cheaper again,” said Lukasz Ptaszynski. “Especially internationally, just want the flights to be easier and a little less connection time and stuff like that.”
Ptaszynski and his wife, Ashleigh, were flying back to Calgary from Cancún with a layover in Denver. The couple tried to get creative with this trip in order to save.
“We ended up going from Miami to Cancún, so it was a bit cheaper from Miami,” said Ashleigh Ptaszynski.
Corporate travel is experiencing a healthy resurgence, also.
“I first came to the U.S. in 2017. I came here again in 2018 and after that – this is my first visit after 2018, like after pandemic,” said Dr. Asif Javed, who flew to Denver this week for a conference. He flew from Pakistan to New York and then on to Denver.
“I came out to attend a geological study,” Javed said. “I have a paper which got accepted, so I have to present my paper there. Due to the conference, I feel (the airfare) was a bit expensive, but I flew American Airlines which was good.”
Increases in capacity could help to further boost consumer confidence heading into the busy holiday travel season.