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Cruises winning battle with airlines
An emerging trend among travelers: an inclination to eschew air trips for cruises. Why?
"A big reason for the shift is the raw deal consumers are getting from airlines, but don’t expect the financial end of that raw deal to change anytime soon," writes MainStreet.
US airlines collected about $5.7 billion in airline baggage fees and reservation changes in 2010, according to the US Department of Transportation.
"With profit margins thinner and fuel prices higher, airlines are going to keep those fees in place, but risk facing a backlash against the traveling-bound consumer as the summer holiday season beckons," says MainStreet.
So one option is cruising.
Cruising has been growing steadily in recent years and almost 15 million Americans turned to cruising in 2010, according to CLIA (Cruise Line International Association). Reasons include cheaper prices over the year, the all-inclusive (mostly) nature of the business and the variety of free amenities that include room upgrades.
There’s also no need to travel far to ships because most Americans live within six hours of a cruise port, according to LastMinuteCruises.com.
By David Wilkening
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