2015 Travel Myths

So here we are at the end of another glorious year in travel.  2014 will be remembered as a year that airline profits have really started to take off and a banner year for travel in general.

So what will 2015 bring us?  These are the myths that pundits are predicting:

* Service and travel experience will improve: Not a chance.  U.S. airports are not adapting to today's      (or tomorrow's) needs.  From TSA, outdated facilities, overcrowded terminals and lounges, there is    no relief in sight.  Don't expect domestic carriers to improve either.
*Fares will go down: Not really! With less competition and reduced capacity, airlines might claim        that fares will stabilize, but once you add an increasing number of ancillary fees on very basic things such as seat assignments, the fares will be up again in 2015.  Also, forget any savings from cost of jet fuel going down.
* There cannot be more ancillary fees-airlines have maxed them out: Wrong! Fees will increase on many "services" and a tiered fee structure will make the previous fees look tame in comparison.
* Fuel Surcharges will be eliminated: Nope! Airlines are always quick to introduce or add fuel surcharges at the hint of rising fuel prices, but when we have a dramatic sustained drop such as the 40%+ drop in the past several months, airlines either do not react or they shrug it off in anticipation of a future increase.

The next edition will be the predictions for 2015.  Stay tuned.