Airlines Profits Soaring
Published at | Updated at
iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The nation’s airlines are flying high — maybe higher than they ever have before.
Several carriers, including American, Alaska, Southwest, and JetBlue Airlines posted record third-quarter profits Thursday. Even United Continental, which hasn’t been keeping up with the pack, said they enjoyed an excellent third quarter.
All the airlines expect the good times to continue during the upcoming holiday season, barring setbacks that might include anxiety over Ebola.
As for what accounts for the huge earnings, industry analysts say it has to do with more people flying, higher ticket prices and of course, those extra fees for checked bags and other things that used to be free.
There’s one other factor that’s putting the airlines in the cockpit seat: lower prices of crude oil, which means cheaper fuel.
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio