2005年NPR美国国家公共电台四月-Airlines Try Fare Hikes Again to Offset F

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In our business news today we have a career check too but first the price of flying goes up.

Several major airlines have reinstated a ten-dollar fare increase on many domestic round-trips one day after they dropped it. NPR's Jack¹ Speer Reports:

Next to labor², fuel is the second largest expense for the airlines. The Air Transport Association, the industry's main trade group, says for every penny increase in the price of jet fuel it costs the industry another 180 million dollars. Michael Boyd is president of the Boyd Group, an aviation industry consulting firm.

The airline industry is in a situation, where suddenly after doing a lot of major cost-cutting over the last 2 years,all those cost cut can get eaten up by fundamental increases in fuel. They need time to restructure their entire system now.

But for the airlines time may be running out with the exception of carriers like Southwest which because of its strong financial condition have been able to hedge fuel. Many airlines are now buying fuel at market rates. And Boyd says even small increases in the price of jet fuel have a huge effect on the airlines.

It depends airline by airline, but for, say, Delta³ airlines, every penny is probably about 22 to 23 million dollars in terms of additional cost.

And with a number of the major carriers in bankruptcy⁴ or on the brink⁵, Boyd says this fare hike probably won't be the last.

This is code red. This is not like what we what we're gonna solve over the next 6 months. We're gonna see airlines probably file Chapter 11 bankruptcy just to protect their cash. If oil goes over 60 dollars a barrel, plan on it.

Airlines spent an additional 6 billion dollars on fuel last year with prices continuing to go up, analysts⁶ say that could go even higher this year.

Jack Speer, NPR News. Washington Jack Speer, NPR News. Washington