Many of you are aware of the large reductions in capacity by the airlines, but you really need to look at the numbers to appreciate how substantial it really is.  This October through December there will be one less seat for every 14 seats available last year during the same period.  That amounts to 59.7 million fewer tickets which can be sold throughout the world during this period fast approaching, according to an article posted in Aviation News and copied from an article in Telegraph.Co.Uk.  Their source for these numbers was the OAG, which is the Official Airline Guide.

Kind of frightening, isn't it?  What this amounts to is a reduction of about 3,500 fewer planes in the future, per the article.  Many carriers are cancelling orders for new aircraft and idling existing aircraft.  What does this mean for all of us?  Fewer choices of departure and arrival times and probably higher ticket prices.  It's certainly a sign of the times, but smart consumers might want to book those trips to Grandma's soon or you might not find seats available.  Waiting until the last minute will certainly cost you money, and with planes filled to capacity, overbooking will also become a problem during the bustling holiday season.

Plan accordingly, arrive on time for your departure, get those seat assignments early by printing them out at home, and you'll have a much less stressed trip.  And, if you really want to avoid stress, come fly out of CAK.  We'll keep a comfy chair available for you!