Get ready for busy travel season; airlines could set record

If you're planning a big vacation trip this summer, move over. You're going to have lots of company. By air or car, traveller numbers are expected to rise over last year thanks to a decent economy and stable gasoline prices. US airlines expect to carry 234m passengers from June 1 through Aug. 31, up from the summer record of 225m a year ago, according to the trade group Airlines for America. While fares are edging up overall, they are still relatively affordable by historical standards. And travelers can find deals, especially on routes flown by discount airlines such as Spirit. Some of the lowest fares on popular routes are coming from United Airlines, which is trying to regain passengers lost to rivals in recent years and to overcome the image, replayed over and over on the news, of a passenger being brutally dragged off a United Express plane. "I call them the mea culpa fares," says George Hobica, founder of airfarewatchdog.com. There is no evidence yet that a spate of viral videos like the United one have hurt ticket sales. Strong demand is helping airlines push up prices. Analysts predict that the amount passengers pay per mile, a rough approximation of average fares, will rise around 3% over last summer. At a few airports, travelers will face increased security measures including placing each large electronic device — laptop, tablet, camera — in a separate bin to go through the X-ray machines, which could slow the screening process.<br/>