British Airways to have far fewer seats for Christmas - reports

Those looking to go on a Christmas holiday later this year had best book their tickets early in order to both secure a seat and avoid the highest prices, as the United Kingdom’s largest airlines have indicated that they would cut capacity by significant margins. In fact, there will be around 60 million fewer seats available internationally, due to capacity cutbacks on the part of British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and other major carriers. This reduction effectively means that one in every fourteen seats will be cut, raising the prospect of truly dramatic price hikes on some routes.

These flight cutbacks will be felt at some 250 airports throughout the world and according to a report in the Telegraph, 3,500 fewer planes will take to the skies. Passengers are also being cautioned to get accustomed to further cutbacks next year, and this will very likely also result in even higher ticket prices, especially in summer 2009.

Some of British Airways’ major cutbacks have affected its transatlantic network, where the UK’s flag carrier has dropped six routes, all of which served Gatwick Airport, in London. Ryanair has taken a very similar approach by cutting a handful of flights at London Stansted. It may take several years before the commercial aviation industry actually recovers from the present downturn. Most experts point out that the airline sector experienced a similar-though less acute-crisis after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and it took around three years for the industry to achieve a full recovery.

source : carrentals.co.uk

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