Summer travel's two major hitches

Two unsettling phrases summarize what's facing those trying to escape from home this holiday weekend or any time this summer: record-high gasoline prices and delayed airline flights.

But no matter how much hassle it may be to get away, industry experts say they expect even more people to hit the highways and board airplanes this year than they did in 2006, in a determined rush to take the vacations they see as a birthright.

For those flying this summer, "everyone's going to share an armrest," predicted Robert W. Mann, an airline consultant in Port Chester, N.Y.

The AAA motor club said yesterday that gasoline pump prices were at record levels for the 11th day in a row, climbing to an average of $3.09 a gallon for unleaded regular in Pennsylvania, $3.06 in Delaware, and $2.95 in New Jersey. The national average was $3.22 a gallon.

While many retailers are reporting lower sales as consumers cut back on other expenses to pay for gasoline, about 500,000 people from the Philadelphia area plan to travel at least 50 miles from home by auto over the Memorial Day weekend, up 2.4 percent from 2006, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. Nationwide, about 38.3 million will take trips of 50 miles or more this weekend, 1.7 percent more than last year, AAA said.

"For the most part, high gasoline prices are not deterring people from traveling," said Catherine Rossi, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "They'll cut back in other ways, such as vacationing closer to home or staying in less-expensive hotels."

AAA and other industry watchers say that unless something unexpected disrupts supplies, gasoline prices should peak in early July and then level off as refiners increase production of gasoline.

Rossi said the expected increase in road trips was small enough that most drivers wouldn't detect much increase in traffic.

But at Philadelphia International and other airports, travelers are likely to notice differences this year, including longer waits at security checkpoints and more flight delays, because airlines have scheduled 2 percent more flights here and nationwide than they did last summer. In contrast, airlines and government agencies have added very few employees to handle the increased volume.

Mann, the airline consultant, said there was a record number of delays last summer, and "I suspect this summer will be an even more . . . heavily delayed situation."

Business travelers who fly frequently year-round because they have to aren't pleased with the prospects, especially given the delays they endured here this winter and spring.

"I think that this summer, with the combination of a pretty decent economy and the increased usage of Philadelphia Airport, I'm not really looking forward to business travel," said James Janesky of Voorhees, a securities analyst who has flown 8,000 miles on US Airways since January. "I can't remember one time when I have been on time this year."

City aviation director Charles J. Isdell said US Airways and Southwest Airlines, the airport's largest carriers, expect to fill more than 80 percent of their available airplane seats most days this weekend, just as they do on many days all year. And flights will only get more jammed as the summer goes on, he said.

US Airways is increasing its daily lineup of nonstop flights to Europe to 20 from 17 last year, prompting the airline and airport officials to pay particular attention to staffing needs in the A-West international concourse, Isdell said.

Airline and airport officials plan to hold a conference call each morning this summer with immigration, customs and Transportation Security Administration representatives to see if thunderstorms may delay flights and to make sure there will be enough airline, airport and government workers to handle the afternoon influx of arriving passengers, Isdell said.

"We're looking at worst-case scenarios so we will be prepared to minimize the inconvenience to passengers," he said.

Tony Grantham, US Airways' managing director for its Philadelphia hub, said he's "99 percent fully staffed" for international flights. In recent weeks, the airline has added 113 baggage handlers and 138 customer-service agents to the 6,136 Philadelphia-based employees it had as of May 1, he said.

Grantham said US Airways has put great effort into improving its baggage-handling. His employees get bags off arriving flights and delivered to carousels in an average of 18 minutes now, he said. Last year, passengers routinely waited 45 minutes or more for inbound bags.

The TSA will increase the number of security lanes from four to five at US Airways' B and C terminals by mid-June, which should help waiting times that have increased recently, TSA spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said. The number of security screeners remains where it has been for several years, about 700, she said.

Some observers also are concerned that airline service will suffer because of the legions of airline employees who are angry over wage concessions they have made to help their companies in recent years, while senior executives have received handsome bonuses. "What we're seeing is people not going out of their way to extend themselves," Mann said.

Despite the difficulties travelers can expect, travel agents say the urge to go somewhere just for fun hasn't changed.

Airfares are slightly higher this year than they were last summer, "but that has not stopped people from traveling," said Mitch Gordon, leisure-travel manager for Uniglobe Wings Travel in Blue Bell.

"People think they deserve a vacation," he said. "They're so stressed out, they have to do it."