Persistent appetite for travel has allowed airlines to raise fares enough to cover higher costs of fuel and labor while still filling seats.
Airline executives say that the resurgent travel demand over the summer didn’t immediately cool off, as it often does in the fall, even as inflation and fears of a recession affected consumer spending in other areas. This year, strong sales continued through September, airline executives said. At the same time, delayed plane deliveries and staffing shortfalls have curtailed some carriers’ growth. Passengers are paying more as airlines have been able to raise fares enough to cover higher costs of fuel and labor without derailing demand.
