The threat of strikes and other labor disputes also hurt revenue as higher labor and fuel costs squeezed the bottom line, analysts said. Among the 10 largest carriers, analysts estimate that only Continental Airlines Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. made a profit. The 10 largest carriers include Trans World Airlines Inc., which AMR has agreed to buy as part of TWA's bankruptcy proceeding. As U.S. airlines increased fares six times last year, corporate customers sharpened their strategies for battling higher ticket prices. Record delays in the industry last year also encouraged more companies to find alternatives.
Air travel takes longer and costs more.
Cisco is encouraging workers to use an in-house booking system where employees review travel options and compare prices. Unit revenue, or the amount earned for every seat flown, fell in February for the first time in 18 months, excluding January 2000, Buttrick said. The decline came as the 10 biggest carriers' February passenger traffic, measured as miles flown by paying passengers, fell 1.3 percent. The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co .