The Turbulent Travel Season Ahead

Whether those decisions were rash or rational, what lies ahead could be rough. "I would like to think that what happened … is behind us," said Carmine J. Romano, American's senior vice president of maintenance and engineering, in a letter to the carrier's employees. But over the next two months, a second wave of airworthiness-directive compliance inspections awaits, and "we still have challenges to face."

Plane maintenance isn't the only thing travelers should be concerned about. Delta and Northwest recently announced a merger that would create the world's largest carrier. The reason: to realize $1 billion in synergies that they contend are possible without closing a single hub (between them, they have seven domestically), or disadvantaging flyers in smaller cities. Critics are skeptical. Some, including Congressman Oberstar, envision a "cascade" of airline mergers once federal regulators approve the Delta-Northwest deal.

This nation's six so-called legacy airlines could easily be three by this time next year. But what will happen to airfares? With or without mergers, ticket prices are bound to rise. Delta CEO Richard Anderson told reporters recently that at current fuel costs, airlines would have to raise ticket prices 15 to 20 percent just to break even.

Jerome Greer Chandler is the author of "Fire & Rain," a chronicle of the wind-shear crash of Delta Flight 191. He is also the recipient of an award in 2000 by the Royal Aeronautical Society for that year's best maintenance article.

© 2008