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Airlines Trim Holiday Flights, Cut Off-Peak Bargains

US Airways will fly 40% fewer flights this Thanksgiving

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:54 PM CDT

(Newser) – As airlines struggle to stay competitive, scheduling changes mean that consumers will see fewer planes and higher fares, the Wall Street Journal reports. In the coming Thanksgiving season, US Airways is flying 40% fewer flights than a year ago. Delta and United have both reduced Thanksgiving flights by more than 20%. And thanks to more efficient scheduling programs, cheap off-peak flights will be harder to find.

Flight scheduling is immensely complex, so most airlines fly similar schedules every day, regardless of consumer demand. Airlines use pricing to compensate—that's why Tuesday flights are cheaper than those on Friday. Computer models designed to optimize scheduling enable airlines to change schedules day to day, so unprofitable flights will be eliminated, not priced down.

In this March 12, 2008 file photo, a Southwest Airlines plane takes off while another taxis on the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.
In this March 12, 2008 file photo, a Southwest Airlines plane takes off while another taxis on the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.   (AP Photo/Nick Ut, file)
In this April 23, 2007, file photo, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 turns east across the Cascade Mountain Range and past Mount Rainier after taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport.
In this April 23, 2007, file photo, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 turns east across the Cascade Mountain Range and past Mount Rainier after taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, file)
In this Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007 file photo, a US Airways jet taxis on a runway at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport on in Charlotte, NC.
In this Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007 file photo, a US Airways jet taxis on a runway at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport on in Charlotte, NC.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
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