Stop harumphing, travelers. The airline industry is much healthier today than a decade ago. Fares are down, on-time arrivals are up and JetBlue has free Wi-Fi.
“It’s a great time to fly,” said Nick Calio, president and chief executive of Airlines for America, a trade association that represents some of the major airlines.
The group held its fourth annual summit in Washington this week, with such A4A members as American, Southwest, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines in attendance. Experts from the field discussed the state of the industry as well as new developments cleared for landing. Here are some highlights:
• Fares are falling. Prices dropped 6 percent in the first half of 2016 and have plunged 12 percent since 2010. “Flying is as affordable as ever,” Calio said. Customer satisfaction is following the opposite trajectory — rising to a 10-year high. In an Ipsos Public Affairs survey of more than 3,000 people, 80 percent of respondents said they were “satisfied” or “greatly satisfied” with their flying experience last year. Transportation Department statistics support these findings. The agency noted significant improvements in such categories as on-time arrivals, lost luggage, passenger bumps and customer complaints. However, Calio credits the decrease in delays to reduced air service and schedule padding, not greater efficiency.
• America’s air traffic control system is as outdated as the rotary phone. Industry leaders are begging the Federal Aviation Administration to modernize the technology. They say the antiquated system is affecting schedules and routes, especially in such congested markets as Atlanta, New York and Chicago, and could stunt expansion. For example, the flight from New York to Washington took an hour a decade ago; the travel time is now 80 minutes. “You are going to get to a point where you can’t grow air travel,” said Southwest chief executive Gary Kelly. “Support for air traffic control modernization is unanimous.” (Note: Delta is the lone holdout on a privatization plan.)
• Airlines are entertaining. On JetBlue, passengers aboard an Airbus A321S can now choose from more than 100 DirectTV channels; its other aircraft offer 36 channels. The carrier is also spreading free onboard Wi-Fi service to its entire fleet. Alaska Airlines has introduced locally sourced food and beverages, including meals by Seattle chef Tom Douglas, microbrews, Washington state wines and, yes, Starbucks.
• DIY luggage-tagging is trending. JetBlue is experimenting with self-tagging kiosks: Simply print, affix and check. The airline is installing machines at select airports, such as New York’s John F. Kennedy International and San Juan’s Luis Mu?oz Mar?n International. Alaska Airlines offers a similar service and is also testing electronic bag tags.
During check-in, the passenger uses the carrier’s mobile app to update the reusable plastic tags, with screens similar to those on e-readers. In addition, customers on eligible flights can print out tags from home.
“The goal is to make this as easy as possible,” said Joseph Sprague, Alaska’s senior vice president of communications and external affairs. “You just drop off your bag and go to security.”
• Security lines are flowing again. After the spring debacle that caused thousands of passengers to miss their flights, the Transportation Security Administration, with the airlines’ assistance, has improved the process.
The agency is replenishing its ranks following a years-long attrition of its workforce. It is also stepping up PreCheck outreach with pop-up and mobile enrollment sites.
In addition, many airlines allow their frequent-flier members to redeem their points or miles for PreCheck status. TSA Administrator Peter Neffinger said that 1.6 million people participated in the trusted-traveler program in 2015; the number has more than doubled over the year.
“You can get an appointment within 14 days,” he said. TSA is also partnering with American and Delta on a pilot project involving automated screening lanes and computed tomography scanners at select hubs.
The innovations — automated belts that redirect bags requiring additional scrutiny, larger bins outfitted with radio frequency ID tags, cameras that snap photos of the bag’s exterior and are linked to X-ray images of its contents — could reduce wait times by 30 percent. Neffinger said he hopes to install 60 new lanes by year’s end.
• Startling fact of the day: 20 percent of an airline ticket price is earmarked for taxes.
