Passenger Transportation - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 98

2. Safety and security. in transportation is a basic requirement for

tourism. This was true before September 11, 2001, and is even more critical today.
3. Environment.

Ensuring safety and security

An increase in traf c may harm the environment if an area does not have the
carrying capacity for additional tourists. Transportation planning must take economic, social,
cultural, and natural resources costs into account when expanded facilities are designed.
4. Seasonality. Seasonal patterns of travel demand create overcrowding at certain times. Con-

versely, low occupancies and load factors will occur at other periods. At peak travel periods, the
problems of congestion, security, and the environment become much more severe.

All of these problems are challenges facing transportation planners. They have had and will
continue to have an unfavorable impact on the perception that tourists have of their vacation
experiences. Transportation problems have the potential to create an unfavorable image of a tourist
destination. As the modes of transportation are reviewed in this chapter, think about how they can be
developed and integrated to serve the tourist in the best possible manner.

THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY

On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright launched the
aviation age when Orville made the first controlled, sustained flight in a motorized, heavier-than-air
craft. Although that famous rst flight lasted less than a minute, it changed the transportation world
forever. Air travel has changed the way people view time and distance. As we celebrate more than
100 years of flight, we nd the airline industry has grown from an infant to a giant. The world's airline
industry numbers 1,715 airlines, 27,024 aircraft, 3,670 airports, 28.6 million scheduled departures a
year, and carries 2.4 billion passengers a year. In the United States alone, commercial aviation
generates more than $150 billion in annual revenue and employs over 550,000 people. 1
A low-cost carrier (LCC) or low-cost airline

—
is an airline that offers generally low fares by eliminating many traditional passenger services. This
concept, experienced first in the United States with Paci c Southwest Airlines in the early 1950s, gave
birth to one of the biggest success stories of the last 20 years in the air travel industry. Southwest
Airlines, which began service in 1971, is LCC

— also known as a no-frills, discount, or budget airline

is biggest U.S. success story. They have been a model that
other low-cost carriers have emulated. The LCCs now represent over 30 percent of total air travel in
the United States and 25 percent in Europe, and are making gains in Asia.
Some typical business practices of LCCs are:

'

& One passenger class
& One type of airplane to reduce fleet maintenance costs
& Using secondary airports
& Quick airport turnarounds
& Point-to-point service
& Unreserved seating
& Employees working in multiple roles
& Internet booking
& No frills, just low fares

Low-cost carriers are growing, threatening the major carriers and making legacy carrier pro tability
a more dif cult task. Brand names like Southwest, JetBlue, AirTran, WestJet, and easyJet are growing
and gaining ground against their larger competitors. They are also making a pro t. They are being
joined by new low-cost carriers in all parts of the world. Ryan Air and Spirit Airlines seem to be vying