which affects almost all of us at some point. Regardless of the reason, most people occasionally need to travel by air and to do so requires paying for airfare. There are many different views on airfares, and after examining just a few of them, it seems fairly easy to form an opinion on whether current airfares are reasonable. The three main perspectives I focused on seem to represent the majority of people who would have opinions about airfare. There is the perspective of travelers (business and leisure), who are generally against higher airfares; those of airlines, who cite multiple reasons to justify increases in airfares, such as increased fuel prices and security costs; and the views of government organizations, such as the Department of Transportation, which are neutral and generally simply present the facts. A traveler's perspective comes from the results of a survey published by the National Business Traveler Association in late 1997, representing corporate travel managers and service provider travel managers. Survey results indicate that record airfare increases have had a significant impact on corporate travel plans. The increase in airfares has resulted in a significant reduction in corporate travel as well as an increase in advance bookings for business travel, both of which must equate to a monetary loss for the airlines. The survey results also mention that higher airfares will push companies to take drastic countermeasures, such as reducing the amount of corporate travel by up to 50% and redirecting business to low-cost airlines. This clearly indicates dissatisfaction with the increase in airfares. The neutral outlook on airfares comes from a report published by the Federal Aviation Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation). The report focuses on the impact that low-cost and low-fare airlines have on airfares. It is claimed that low-cost airlines force major carriers to operate more efficiently and reduce fares. As a result, Americans benefit. A surprising fact contained in the report states that competition caused by low-cost, low-fare airlines saved Americans approximately $6.3 billion in airfare last year. It is also mentioned that in cities where low-cost airlines exist, the average one-way ticket has been reduced by $54. After reviewing the report, it is safe to say that low-cost, low-fare airlines are the main reason Americans pay lower fares, but in cities where no low-cost airlines exist, fares are still very high and are increasing..

Topic > which affects almost all of us at some point. Regardless of the reason, most people occasionally need to travel by air and to do so requires paying for airfare. There are many different views on airfares, and after examining just a few of them, it seems fairly easy to form an opinion on whether current airfares are reasonable. The three main perspectives I focused on seem to represent the majority of people who would have opinions about airfare. There is the perspective of travelers (business and leisure), who are generally against higher airfares; those of airlines, who cite multiple reasons to justify increases in airfares, such as increased fuel prices and security costs; and the views of government organizations, such as the Department of Transportation, which are neutral and generally simply present the facts. A traveler's perspective comes from the results of a survey published by the National Business Traveler Association in late 1997, representing corporate travel managers and service provider travel managers. Survey results indicate that record airfare increases have had a significant impact on corporate travel plans. The increase in airfares has resulted in a significant reduction in corporate travel as well as an increase in advance bookings for business travel, both of which must equate to a monetary loss for the airlines. The survey results also mention that higher airfares will push companies to take drastic countermeasures, such as reducing the amount of corporate travel by up to 50% and redirecting business to low-cost airlines. This clearly indicates dissatisfaction with the increase in airfares. The neutral outlook on airfares comes from a report published by the Federal Aviation Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation). The report focuses on the impact that low-cost and low-fare airlines have on airfares. It is claimed that low-cost airlines force major carriers to operate more efficiently and reduce fares. As a result, Americans benefit. A surprising fact contained in the report states that competition caused by low-cost, low-fare airlines saved Americans approximately $6.3 billion in airfare last year. It is also mentioned that in cities where low-cost airlines exist, the average one-way ticket has been reduced by $54. After reviewing the report, it is safe to say that low-cost, low-fare airlines are the main reason Americans pay lower fares, but in cities where no low-cost airlines exist, fares are still very high and are increasing..