To hear it from
However, the
With the mixed outlook,
Heading into summer, travelers are paying more for any type of seat, from basic to premium,
“We expect pricing this summer to be up probably somewhere between 25% and 30% on average,” Bastian said. “We've never seen anything of that scale.”
It’s not hard to find people on social media complaining about high fares, but airline executives scoff at the notion that the current prices could scare away customers.
Speaking later at the same investor event,
“It you’re worried about pricing destroying demand, you are betting against history,” Kirby declared.
The surprisingly strong rebound in air travel this year has allowed airlines to push fares higher but also left them struggling to handle the crowds with fewer workers than they had before the pandemic. Staffing issues contributed to widespread cancellations and delays over the
Bastian said Delta’s corps of 12,000 pilots is big enough, but it will take eight to 12 months to train new hires and current ones who will replace the 2,000 senior pilots who retired or quit during the pandemic.
The CEO said the airline — which last week trimmed its planned summer schedule by up to 3% — is building more time between flights and tweaking its schedule at the
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