WALL STREET JOURNAL: …The disconnect arises from an industry technique known as “upgauging,” in which airlines increase capacity by adding seats on existing jets and replacing smaller planes with larger ones. As a result, U.S. airlines are offering 12% more domestic seats this month than two years ago, but 4.4% fewer flights, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of schedule data.
For fliers, the impact is mixed. Larger planes are generally more comfortable, fly faster and offer larger overhead bins and first-class cabins. More seats bring “the potential to possibly get a better fare or an upgrade,” said Henry Harteveldt, cofounder of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel-industry advisory firm.
But fewer flights mean fewer options for travelers, who have to settle for inconvenient schedules more often. Smaller cities are also at higher risk of losing some service as airlines consolidate traffic onto fewer jets. Plus, airlines sometimes remove a galley or lavatory and trim legroom to fit extra seats, although new seat designs help minimize the crunch. Denser seating makes it “that much more of a struggle to get your carry-on into the overhead bin,” Mr. Harteveldt said. … (more)
