Travelers face fewer holiday flights

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Many U.S. travelers will run into cut backs in flight schedules for the first time this holiday season, filed flight schedules show.

Records at the Official Airline Guide indicate U.S. airlines have cut domestic flights by 11 percent from Nov. 20 through Nov. 30, compared with the previous year, USA Today reported Monday. That time period covers Thanksgiving.

In total, there will be about 3,000 fewer flights a day through that stretch, providing fewer travel options and pushing passengers onto more crowded planes, the newspaper said.

Far fewer flights are scheduled for Thanksgiving Day -- Nov. 27 -- with US Airways trimming flights 40 percent, Delta Air Lines 26 percent and United Airlines 22 percent.

Some airlines, however, are sensing an opportunity. JetBlue Airways said it will increase flights 3 percent for the holiday and Southwest said it would add 15 flights for Nov. 29-30, the newspaper said.