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Odds are, you'll be on a smaller plane
Airlines are using the little planes for longer runs, these days. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the average regional airline flight hit 461 miles in 2008, up profoundly from 274 miles in 2009. That's an increase of 41 percent! This is an industry-wide trend, so shopping around isn't likely to help you get a larger jet. The major carriers are relying on regional affiliates, so you'll probably be out of luck. The regionals fly more than half the flights from some pretty hefty airports, including LaGuardia, O'Hare, Milwaukee, Raleigh and Memphis. And, these airlines account for 45% of the traffic at Atlanta's Hartsfield International, the busiest airport in the United States.
American Airlines and United announced that they were adopting this approach back in September, particularly at airports such as Chicago and Denver. Delta has moved its Washington-to-New York shuttle to one of its regional carriers, as well.
[Via USA Today]
Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines, Airports
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick Dec 5th 2009 12:09PM
The use of smaller regional flights increased from last year, right? The years 2008 and 2009 appear to have been misplaced above.
Tom Johansmeyer Dec 5th 2009 12:24PM
Data was from 2008