Airlines await rebound in business travel

As anyone who flew this summer can attest, U.S. airlines did a pretty good job filling their airplanes, particularly on domestic routes.

American Airlines Inc. official Dan Garton says, 'We have seen the trend line on corporate travel improve.' But like a summer romance that comes to an end, the question is what happens post-Labor Day, with the family vacations over and the kids back in school. Airlines are particularly worried about whether they'll attract the higher-paying business travelers, many of whom this year have decided to stay home or sit in a discounted seat in coach rather than buy a full-fare ticket.

"There's clearly, at the right price, plenty of leisure demand," Continental Airlines Inc. chairman Larry Kellner said at a National Business Travel Association convention late last month. "The real question is: What's the right business demand as we come into the fall?" 

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