In the News: Airlines Slash Fares, But It’s Not Enough

It’s a bit of bad news vs. good news for the airline industries these days. Well, actually it’s pretty much bad news for them, but good news for would-be travelers.

According to this March 10 Wall Street Journal article, airlines are finding that despite reduce fares, people still are not flying.

Between deep cuts in business travel and people too freaked out by the recession to commit to personal travel, the airlines say they will have to further reduce fares. That’s the good news part, at least for those of you planning on taking a trip in the near future.

At the same time, Reuters is reporting that despite (or perhaps because of) all the cuts in fares, routes and even personnel, U.S. airlines are actually managing to tread water during this economic crisis. Declining fuel prices and the rising dollar are two of the factors that have helped keep airlines like Delta and U.S. Airways afloat (or, should I say aloft).

While it may not be the most recession-proof of industries, airlines do offer exciting and challenging job opportunities. Some are even hiring right now! If you would like to learn more, check out JobMonkey’s section on Airline and Airport Jobs.

(And hey, on a personal note, I’m flying next week and couldn’t find a sweet deal if my life had depended on it, so I’m wondering where all these great fares are disappearing to?)