US Airlines Ramping Up Flights Despite Virus
Airline carriers in the U.S. are preparing for take-off, slowly but surely. American Airlines is gearing up for a 55% capacity of domestic flights starting this month, an increase from the 20% of regularly scheduled flights which occurred in May. United Airlines is taking a bit slower approach in its return, with an anticipated 25% this month. Most major airlines in the U.S. remain cautiously optimistic that passengers will return to summer flight bookings. Currently, the number of crew and passengers at U.S. airports is down 85% from last year at this time. The industry is no doubt experiencing a slow recovery as reopening’s around the country have been uncertain, although there had been a 27% increase in bookings by the end of June. One noticeable difference from the norm is, consumers are in search of the most flexible travel options available, and not committing to their plans or paying until the last possible moment.
Ann Sullivan is a contributing staff writer covering national and world news topics. She brings dedicated experience having written international and domestic news, blogs, and web content for over 20 years. She’s also a published poet and graphic designer with degrees in Business and Graphic Communications and has been a music distributor, music industry sponsorship sales director and band manager.