"Demand pushes up prices for airfares, cars, hotels"

Friday, April 6, 2007

Demand pushes up prices for airfares, cars, hotels 
The Seattle (WA) Times


Travel costs

Does travel seem more expensive lately? Here are some new statistics that
back that up.

Business travel costs substantially increased over the past two years,
according to the 2006 American Express Business Travel Monitor, which tracks
airfares, hotel rates and car-rental fees booked by the company's corporate
clients.

The increases included a rise in average domestic airfares to $231 in 2006.
In contrast, in 2005, average domestic plane tickets had hit a six-year low
of $216, according to American Express data.

International airfares increased 12.8 percent over two years, according to
the data, to an average of $1,707 per ticket in 2006, up from $1,614 in 2005
and $1,514 in 2004.

"With global economies continuing to surge ahead, U.S.-based carriers
expanded capacity to different regions, yet demand continued to outpace
supply," said Mike Streit of American Express.

Asia continues to show the greatest demand, particularly in China and India.
Fares increased 11 percent, the highest average increase in any region.

Car rentals showed a higher average daily cost as well. Prices rose 4.5
percent to $69. Costs for international hotel bookings rose 8.5 percent to
an average $230, up from $212 in 2005.

Air travel

Passenger woes rose between 2005 and 2006

Airline hassles are on the rise: More passengers found themselves bumped,
their flights delayed or their bags lost last year than in 2005, according
to the annual Airline Quality Rating report.

The report does not include recent weather-related flight delays such as the
ones that left JetBlue and United Airlines planes idling for hours on
taxiways.

"They just don't get it yet," said Dean Headley, an associate professor at
Wichita State University and co-author of the study.

Jet Blue, which rated highest on the list for the past three years, was
bumped out of the top slot by Hawaiian, which made its debut on the list
this year. The top three on the 18-airline list were Hawaiian, JetBlue and
Air Tran. The bottom three, from worst to best, were Atlantic Southeast,
American Eagle and COMAIR.

The Airline Quality Rating report, compiled annually since 1991, looked at
18 airlines and was based on Transportation Department statistics. The
research is sponsored by the Aviation Institute at University of Nebraska,
Omaha, and Wichita State University.

Sea-Tac airport

Vacations, spring break put the squeeze on parking

Heading to Seattle-Tacoma Airport soon? Allow extra time to find parking.

Sea-Tac airport's parking garage was full on various days last month and may
be even busier this month during Seattle schools' spring break.

The record busy days have been mid-week when the garage, which can
accommodate 9,700 cars, filled to capacity on several Wednesdays and
Thursdays. The crowding is believed to be caused by a combination of more
business and leisure travelers this time of year; it's expected to continue
this month.

Passports

Delays ease as summer travel season approaches

Passport delays got your summer travel plans in limbo? You may be able to
rest easier.

A boost in staffing and overtime and weekend hours at the 17 passport
agencies has reduced some processing delays that had threatened a huge
number of overseas vacations for Americans and sparked congressional
concern.

Expedited applications, which require an additional fee, will again be
processed in two weeks, down from four at the height of the crisis. Standard
applications will still take 10 weeks, the State Department said.

The department warned last month that a crush of new passport applicants -
more than 1 million a month - had inundated its staff and caused extended
delays at the peak of the January-to-April season when many people prepare
to travel over the spring and summer.

The surge was made worse by a new regulation that requires Americans to have
passports when traveling by air to any country, including Canada, Mexico and
those in the Caribbean.

Outdoor recreation

Look, book online at new federal Web site

A new Web site makes it easier to plan trips to federal recreation sites,
from monuments and historic attractions to forests, parks and scenic byways.

Go to www.recreation.gov to view photos and information and make
reservations and payments for tours, camp sites and other accommodations.

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