Jim Devine wrote:
but the following question is quite relevant, since anecdotes can easily deceive:>What
are the industry load factors looking like?<
+++++++
I agree. But I fly San Francisco-Boston-San Francisco by United at least once a month
for the past three years. Call it a long distance commute if you like. So my personal
sample size is quite large. The decrease in the number of passengers over the past
few months is more than noticable. There used to be long lines in front of the entry
points into the gates area, now there is hardly any line. After much more than half a
million frequent flier points, they give me free upgrade certificates to the business
class and until recently the business class had always been packed. Nowadays, you see
empty seats.
Here is another anectode:
I am friends with a shop-owner who sells ties, socks, cigarettes and other similar
garbage to the customers of Hotel Meridien in Boston. He said a few days ago that the
occupancy rate at Boston Meridien in July was the worst for the past 10 years. Don't
know from where he learnt this but you know how news spread in work-places.
In today' s NYT there is this article entitled: "U.S. Airlines Lower Fares to Spur
Demand". Couldn't find it online but it is on page C8 of the Business Day section, if
you read the hard copy. Take a look at it if you like.
Sabri
