What Can We Expect From the Airline Industry in 2023?

What can we expect from the airlines in 2023?

About the same as in 2022 and 2021, and so on. Which is to say, it is business as usual. That means long lines and delays and cancelations.

It’s a numbers game. The airlines simply don’t have enough planes or pilots to which we were accustomed. Or their systems are outdated.

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Take Southwest Airlines for example.

It was Southwest that bore the brunt of the problems that happened during Christmas break with numerous cancelations. It was partly because Southwest doesn't utilize a hub and spoke system. Instead, it transports its pilots
and flight attendants from place to place rather than having the equipment there already. It is a system that is severely flawed.

It is ripe for delays and the weather only exacerbates the situation. But it also allows the airline to keep its fares on the cheaper side, and you cannot argue with success. Southwest is, after all, the fourth largest airline in the country.

So how do the airlines change in 2023?

They have to stop nickel and diming so many customers. There are fees for bags, for changing your flight, and for just about anything you can think of. Flying has changed, and in the eyes of many the changes are not for the best.

But that’s an argument for another time.

How can the airlines get better in 2023? Perhaps that is not the question. Perhaps the question is, do they want to get better? The problem is that the airlines know people are going to travel. It’s more or less a captive audience.

They know that most people will wait out a delay or cancelation instead of rebooking at a higher price.

The airlines have to get back to being more people-oriented, more customer-centric. The audience and the patrons will always be there, no matter what. This isn’t a slight against the traveler. But if you could drive in 24 hours or fly in three, what would you rather do? That is my point.

The airlines know this. That’s why I called it an almost captive audience. It’s also good that there is a government oversight. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is mostly all talk and little to no action, but his hands are tied too. Again, that’s a column for another time. For now, it’s good to have at least the threat of government intervention.

But don’t expect things to change just because the calendar changed. Be prepared for higher prices this year once again and know that delays and cancellations are bound to happen throughout the year. We'll stay hopeful that it won't be as chaotic of a summer air travel season as it was in 2022.