Airlines fly into wintry mix

The airline industry continues to struggle during the recession, but there may be signs of recovery.

The airline industry continues to struggle during the recession, but there may be signs of recovery. U.S. Airways reported slightly better second quarter results than expected, as did Southwest and United airlines. U.S. Airways is the largest air carrier at Philadelphia International airport. But business travelers are still wary of the industry’s prospects.

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[audio: 090731sbairway.mp3]

The good news of more profit and somewhat of a bump in advance bookings for the second quarter than expected is counterbalanced by a drop in bookings from frequent flying business travelers.

Kevin McGuire is president of the National Business Travel Association. He says regular business travelers have been seeking alternatives to flying.

McGuire: People are still looking at ways to control costs, which means fewer trips at the moment, probably more use of electronic things like teleconferencing, webinars, things like that.

McGuire says travelers are also concerned about mergers, which he says often mean higher prices and fewer flights. He says these result in flights that fill up quickly and are more crowded, a deterrent for business travelers.