Too true. For now, at least. It's hard to predict the future, though. Businesses always ax travel first in tough economic times, and the short hops are definitely a casualty of increased security time/hassles.

The spread between business and lowest-leisure fares widened too much, and there was one thing not mentioned: Taxes. Air-travel taxes went way up and rental-car taxes and junk fees are at obscene levels, adding 50% to the cost of some rentals. States and cities kept using car rents and hotels as a cash cow for unrelated projects, like stadiums. They're reaping what they sowed now with business travelers renting fewer cars.

Long-term, they need better machines to go with better people on airport security, so that you can try to have both speed and accuracy.

Businesses need to realize that travel cost-cutting can only go so far before employees rebel. Airlines need to realize that business fares can't go too high in relation to lowest leisure fares without businesses pulling all the strings to look for alternatives.


[This message has been edited by RustyC (edited 09-01-2002).]