Higher air fares await holiday travelers

If you plan to spend the holidays with grandma or Mickey Mouse, and you need to get there by air, you should make reservations as soon as possible.

"People better start looking for seats now for Christmas travel," said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, a passenger advocacy organization. "The number of flights will be down and fares will be up."

Cash-strapped airlines are raising ticket prices, adding on fees for such previously free amenities as checked luggage and sodas, and cutting flight schedules to compensate for the high price of jet fuel.

While most of the major carriers already have added fuel surcharges to ticket prices and started charging fees for bags and bottles of water, the airlines waited until after the busy summer season to slash flight schedules.

Some started flight cuts this month.

Tempe-based US Airways, the biggest airline at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, plans to shave 6 percent to 8 percent of its domestic flights in the fourth quarter, although the airline plans to boost flights to Hawaii, Florida and the Caribbean during the peak holiday travel days, said spokeswoman Valerie Wunder.

Rival Southwest Airlines said it won't start dumping flights until January.

Overall, Sky Harbor expects to see 8 percent to 10 percent fewer passengers this fall, compared with the same time period last year, said Claire Stern, airport spokeswoman.

The airlines expect ticket demand to slump because of the poor economy and the higher air fares, and that led to the schedule slashing, Stempler said,

But the big holidays tend to defy day-to-day travel trends.

Stempler said would-be travelers shouldn't hold out for better deals and risk not getting a seat at all.

Wunder said US Airways' skimpier seat allotment already is filling up.

"Holiday bookings are slightly ahead of last year, and given the capacity reductions, passengers would be wise to book their holiday plans sooner rather than later," she said.

Besides, just because oil prices slipped under $100 per barrel this week, carriers likely won't cut ticket prices or add flights any time soon, Stempler said.

"It's unclear what will happen," he said.

"The price of oil may not be stable. And airlines tend to be lagging indicators. So start looking now for the holiday, and if you find a good seat at a good price, book it."