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SOURCE: I Fly First Class

Trends show that summer months experience the highest airline capacity and loads, and the summer of 2012 was no exception.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) February 07, 2013

2012 Shows Record-Breaking Passenger Numbers
A record number of travelers took to the friendly skies in 2012, in spite of continuing trends of passenger dissatisfaction with large airline customer service, unrelieved economic concerns and the announcement of another major American airline bankruptcy. Those record passenger numbers applied to both domestic and international flights, according to most major U.S. carriers.

In fact, all summer months in 2012 saw record-breaking passenger numbers for U.S. airlines. Passenger capacity loads soared to a stunning 83.88 percent in August 2012, the business-class travel experts at I Fly First Class revealed. In a recent review of reports from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics,I Fly First Class found that those passenger loads far surpass any capacity loads experienced since 1976.

I Fly First Class PR Manager Julia Graft notes that the passenger loads have steadily increased over the past 10 years by about 10 percent. Trends show that summer months experience the highest airline capacity and loads, and the summer of 2012 was no exception. U.S. carriers often add seasonal flights to a number of destinations to accommodate higher summer demand. Even with the additional summer capacity, July statistics reveal a record 83.88 percent passenger load on domestic flights. International travel saw an increase in travel in June with 86.9 percent load. August's record numbers reflect upticks in both domestic and international travel.

Are these numbers further evidence that the U.S. economy is strengthening? The experts at I Fly First Class think it is. Graft believes the record capacity loads in 2012 indicate that travelers are financially comfortable enough to spend hundreds of dollars on flights. Given that the average domestic fare costs $380, Graft asserts that consumer travel confidence is evidence of a recovering economy.

In its review of Bureau of Transportation Statistics data,I Fly First Class experts put the 2012 statistics in perspective. Load factors in 1976 were at just 57.9 percent, partly due to the high cost of flying in the early 1970s. With the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, competition in the air travel markets increased and government control of airfares were eliminated, leading to nearly a 10 percent increase in passenger loads in the years following deregulation.

U.S. Airways, Delta Airlines and other U.S. legacy carriers experienced increased holiday demand, leading them to predict that the 2012 holiday travel season statistics will be as robust as they were for the summer season. If that holds true, 2012 will be the best year ever for full flight loads.

Below is a comparison of flight capacity load statistics for eight-month periods in 2002 and 2012.

January, 2002 - 62.83% - 2012 - 77.61%
February, 2002 - 66.83% - 2012 - 76.62%
March, 2002 - 74.54% - 2012 - 83.06%
April, 2002 - 70.16% - 2012 - 82.60%
May, 2002 - 70.98% - 2012 - 83.58%
June, 2002 - 75.09% - 2012 - 86.59%
July, 2002 - 75.62% - 2012 - 86.68%
August, 2002 - 75.66% - 2012 - 86.60%

Julia Graft PR Manager

About us:

We know our customers expect the highest quality standards. Reliability and integrity are the hallmarks of our reputation. Enjoy luxurious travel at special discount rates to the most international destinations on first and business class flights with I Fly First Class.

http://www.iflyfirstclass.com

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