American Airlines says it will temporarily suspend six flight routes later this summer due to high fuel costs. None of the routes impact Seattle.
This comes as other airlines have also increased fees or cut routes to handle rising costs.
The airline told CBS News it would temporarily suspend the following routes in August and September:
- Los Angeles to Cleveland
- Los Angeles to Columbus
- Los Angeles to Pittsburgh
- Los Angeles to Washington Dulles
- Charlotte to Ontario
- Charlotte to Sacramento
Travelers are experiencing the impact of increased costs too.
“I just booked a flight to go from San Diego to Madison, Wisconsin,” said Matt Murphy, flying out of SEA on Thursday. “For four of us it was probably $1,000 more than what we experienced last year.”
U.S. consumer price data from April shows gas prices went up 28% year-over-year. Airfare increased nearly 21%, and lodging, including hotels and motels, saw a 4% increase.
These price hikes have already led to higher bag fees from some airlines and other flight cancellations across the industry.
“Most Americans are really facing squeezes at the gas pump, but also on groceries and health care expenditures, and all of that is adding up to really make a tight budget this summer,” said Kitty Richards, Senior Fellow at Groundwork Collaborative.
Experts say the war in Iran and other inflationary pressures are contributing to these impacts.
Richards emphasized the importance of finding ways to spend quality time with family that do not involve high fuel costs, explaining that “fuel costs also trickle through to everything else in the economy.”
If flying is necessary, travel experts recommend considering a change in destination or opting for flights at inconvenient times to find better deals. Travelers are also advised to compare prices across different websites.
Adding to the uncertainty, concern over threats made by the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary over withdrawing U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in so-called “sanctuary cities.”
If it happens, it would effectively stop all processing of international passengers and cargo at these airports, forcing airlines to land elsewhere.
Major airlines and the U.S. Transportation Secretary have pushed back on the suggestion.
Seattle is listed among a list of sanctuary cities on the Justice Department’s website.
“Obviously, if the CPB functions were pulled, we would have to essentially pull all international carriers that would come to our gateway,” said Port Commissioner Sam Cho. “That would require us to likely work with other airports that may not have the same situation to coordinate more connecting flights, so that those people can still end up in Seattle.”
An airport spokesperson told KIRO 7 that, unlike other airports that might be run by the city or county they are located in, SEA is run by the Port (as opposed to a city that may have a sanctuary policy).
Cho added that if the federal government did pull officers, it would impact travelers, cargo, and potentially other flights that rely on international flights for connections.
No decisions have been made.