Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

As oil prices rise, so will airfare for holiday travelers, experts say

wbez.org · 3hShare

Chicago travelers planning to fly this holiday season could face higher airfare as rising fuel prices put pressure on airline costs. Fares are expected to rise dramatically in the next few weeks, according to Joseph Schwieterman, director of DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. “Fares a month from now will probably be at least 20% higher than now,” Schwieterman said. Average airfares were already about 2% higher over the Labor Day weekend than they were a year earlier, while fares to some of the most popular destinations were up about 20%, according to auto group AAA. In addition to raising prices, airlines are also cutting flights to less popular destinations. At a Morgan Stanley conference earlier this month , Mike Leskinen, chief financial officer of Chicago-based United Airlines, said the company is cutting several December flights that “don’t make sense in a higher fuel environment.” "As you look into the fourth quarter, there'll be some flights in

First report: As oil prices rise, so will airfare for holiday travelers, experts say — suntimes.com, 1d