82 percent of airline seats full during March, a record for the month

The flights of big domestic airlines were fuller last month than in any March in history, and travel experts say the shoehorning of passengers is likely to continue.

"It's definitely going to be a love-thy-neighbor summer," says Terry Trippler, CEO of airline site Farefacts.com, predicting few empty seats and little space to stretch out in the months ahead.

Easter travel and spring break last month, combined with cheap fares, helped the six big traditional airlines fill 82 percent of available seats, up from 78 percent a year ago, according to data tracker Back Aviation Solutions. Available seats were up 7 percent over the period. Financially ailing big carriers have been filling greater percentages of seats as their need for cash has grown.

Rock-bottom fares and a growing demand for air travel have allowed them to fill more of their seats. High fuel prices have added to airlines' incentives to fly their planes fuller. The March record trails June and July of last year. No. 7 US Airways, struggling to exit its second bankruptcy in two years, had three consecutive days with planes 90 percent full.

Discount giant Southwest, which has been consistently profitable, filled a smaller percentage of seats in March than any of the big carriers: 74 percent, the same as March 2004. The high passenger volumes would be encouraging for the major carriers - if they were selling seats at profitable levels.

For the traveler, packed planes are "going to make travel even less pleasant," says consultant John Weber of Back Aviation Solutions.

Passengers are unlikely to see big increases in overbooking, because airlines have gotten better at predicting who will fly and who will reschedule, Weber says.

Among the implications:

- Earlier booking required: Plan ahead to get the most convenient itinerary, Weber says.

- Packed airports, full seats. Arrive early, because the security process may take longer than it did when fewer people - and more experienced fliers - were flying. Once seated, don't expect to stash a sweater or briefcase on the neighboring seat. "There's going to be people all around you," he says.

- Shorter tempers. Andrew Thomas, a University of Akron professor who wrote a book about air rage, expects hostility to rise as passenger levels rise. People are "more stressed out," he says.

Source: The Associated Press