Apr 11, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
American Cancels 200 More Flights For Saturday
More Than 3,100 Grounded Since Airline Crisis Began
By Alexis Christoforous, CBS 2 HD News
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
With more flights canceled, passengers continue to pay the price for an airline inspection crisis.
Since Tuesday, nearly 3,100 flights have been grounded, leaving fliers frustrated and exhausted.
And as CBS 2 HD has learned, their travel nightmares are far from over. American Airlines announced the cancellation of 200 more flights for Saturday, though it said it expected its schedule to return to normal by Sunday.
The airline industry is facing its biggest crisis since 9/11. Four airlines have gone into bankruptcy in the last two week, and five have been forced to scrub scores of flights for failing to properly inspect planes.
American Airlines has now canceled more than 3,000 flights in the past four days and planes are still being grounded. It is estimated 250,000 passengers have been bumped by the inspections.
"As soon as we got to our gate, we found out our flight had been canceled," one stranded passenger at LaGuardia Airport said Friday, echoing a familiar cry for help.
As the airline races to complete Federal Aviation Administration inspections on its MD-80 planes, passengers will suffer through the weekend. The debacle could cost American more than $50 million.
All of the airlines are struggling to survive as the price of jet fuel soars. And passengers are paying the price.
No food or amenities on flights and higher ticket prices and fees for extra baggage are just a few of the dilemmas facing passengers these days.
Frontier Airlines is the latest airline to declare bankruptcy, but the carrier intends to keep its planes in the air.
"From passenger standpoint, it is very important to note they should not notice anything," Frontier spokesman Steve Snyder said. "It's business as usual. We are planning on operating a full schedule."
It's coming down to survival of the fittest, and in tough times some airlines are considering joining forces, like Delta and Northwest.
And that could mean less competition in the skies and a big jump in ticket prices for travelers.
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