Many thought airfares would spike in the age of coronavirus. That’s not happening yet

Earlier this year, social distancing and the cataclysmic drop in demand for air travel was expected to bring a sharp rise in airfare prices. Flying was going to get expensive — a lot more expensive, according to some. Commercial aviation, the conventional wisdom said, would return to its 1950s roots as a luxury available only to the rich. All that may happen — but not anytime soon, experts say. Will commercial airfares rise this year?<br/>“I don’t think so,” said Kent Gourdin, professor and director of the Global Logistics and Transportation Program at the College of Charleston. “Airlines are simply trying to put people into seats.” Gourdin said that until the public can travel — not just fly — with confidence again, he believes fare increases are off the table. “Business travel is still down as many firms realize virtual meetings can often yield the same benefits as those held face-to-face, at significantly lower cost,” said Gourdin. “Leisure passengers are simply not yet comfortable booking costly trips to popular destinations not knowing what they will find when they arrive.” Dean Headley, co-author of the Airline Quality Rating and an emeritus professor at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, said that while third- and fourth-quarter airfares are “typically” higher than the first half of the year, “these are not typical times.” “Airlines sometimes do crazy things that do not seem to make sense,” he said, “but this does not seem like the time to raise fares.” Story has more.<br/>