Several big airlines’ peak-travel fees apply on fewer days

Although airfares have been on the rise for the last year or so, there is good news for holiday travelers:

Several of the nation’s largest airlines have dramatically reduced the number of dates on which they will impose a peak-travel surcharge. The fees, which range from $20 to $40, are typically added to one-way fares for flights on such popular travel dates as the day before Thanksgiving.

Around this time last year, most of the largest airlines had added peak-travel surcharges on 18 dates from Nov. 18 to early January.

But so far, Delta, American, United and Continental airlines have added the surcharge to only six peak travel days, said Tom Parsons, the chief executive of the travel website BestFares.com.

The surcharges have been added for flights on those airlines on Nov. 27 and 28, Dec. 22, 23 and 26 and Jan. 2, he said. Several airline representatives confirmed the surcharges but declined to discuss why they were imposing the charges on only six dates.

Parsons said a reason some airlines are cutting back on peak-travel charges may be that they have already raised fares significantly over the last year. Another reason, he said, may be that airlines fear the slow economy and rising ticket prices will combine to kill the holiday travel season.

There are a few exceptions to the shift in tactics. US Airways, for example, has imposed surcharges on 19 days in November and December. Southwest Airlines said it won’t impose charges for traveling on peak days.

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Employees reap reward points

With business travel on the rise again, most bosses are strictly enforcing corporate travel policies. But they are also letting business travelers keep the airline rewards miles and hotel and car rental loyalty points they earn on the road.

That’s the conclusion of a new survey of 170 travel agents, managers and travel experts conducted in August by Travel Leaders, a Minnesota travel company.

When asked about their clients’ travel policies, 68% of those surveyed said corporations are somewhat or very strict in enforcing travel policies.

The good news for business travelers is that nearly all survey respondents said businesses let their workers keep the frequent flier miles from their travel and earn loyalty reward points at hotels and car rental agencies.

“The benefit to the employee traveling appears to be that they are rewarded with frequent flier miles, along with hotel and car rental loyalty points, which can then be used for personal travel,” said Roger E. Block, president of the Travel Leaders Franchise Group.

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Minimum cab fare at Burbank?

For now, travelers who use Bob Hope Airport in Burbank can still save money by parking just outside the airport and catching a taxi ride into the terminal.

The demand for short rides into and out of the airport has grown so much that taxi drivers have asked Burbank city officials to impose a minimum fare of $15.50 for rides starting at the airport.

Taxicab companies began complaining recently that they were losing money on the short rides they give passengers who park in nearby retail parking lots or on city streets. Airport parking costs $10 to $31 a day.

The Burbank Traffic Commission approved a request for the minimum fare last month from one of the three taxi companies that serve the airport.

But last week, the Burbank city attorney said the commission did not have the authority to do that. The City Council is expected to take up the issue in November or December.

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hugo.martin@latimes.com