Sky high: U.S. airlines are expecting record passenger loads this summer, a 4.5% increase over last year’s June 1 to Aug. 31 period, according to Airlines for America, the industry’s leading trade group. As The Wall Street Journal reports, some 222 million passengers are expected on U.S airlines in the industry’s busiest period, including 31 million customers forecast to take international trips on U.S. carriers, another record. Thirteen of the 15 busiest travel days of the year fall in the summer months. In the June-through-August period, about 2.4 million passengers a day are expected to fly on U.S. airlines, including 332,000 a day on international flights offered by U.S. carriers. In response to the demand, airlines are expected to boost the number of available seats by 4.6%. Read the full story (subscription may be required).
On the road: AAA says gas prices are on the rise leading up to the busy Memorial Day travel weekend. As of this morning, AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge report says the national average price for a gallon of unleaded is $2.70, compared with $2.65 a week ago and $2.44 a month ago. Still, prices are 96 cents cheaper than they were a year ago. In Baton Rouge, average gas prices remain below the national average, at $2.36. The local average is up 3 cents from a week ago and 19 cents from a month ago. A year ago, gas was selling for $3.37 in Baton Rouge. According to Lundberg, a separate survey on gas prices, Baton Rouge currently has the lowest average price in the nation, Reuters reports.
Giving them a break: The improving economy has encouraged many companies to offer employees more travel-related perks. USA Today reports that this summer, many offices will shorten work weeks so employees can travel, pay for their vacations or give them unlimited time off. This comes just a few years after the recession forced companies to cut salaries and employees. While the Society for Human Resource Management says that only 1% of U.S. employers offered unlimited time off in 2014, a growing number of companies say that vacation perks help them retain employees and makes them more productive. Read the full story.
