Sky-High Pain at the Pump: Airlines Lower Fuel Usage at Any Cost

No fun leaving on a jet plane as airline CEOs plead with public for help.

ByABC News
September 30, 2008, 4:11 PM

July 10, 2008— -- Think the airlines can't possibly come up with another way to cut costs? Think again. Coming soon on your flight across country, US Airways will no longer offer in-flight movies.

The carrier announced Thursday that movies are the most recent casualty of the fuel crisis because the heavier the plane, the heftier the fuel bill. At 500 pounds per plane, the in-flight entertainment systems weigh too much for the carrier to justify bringing them on board.

"Nothing is off the table for us or anyone else in the airline business," said US Airways president Scott Kirby. "The stratospheric increase in the price of oil is forcing all of us to radically restructure and rethink our business."

US Airways said it will save $10 million per year in fuel costs by getting rid of the movies, starting in November.

Watch "World News with Charles Gibson" TONIGHT at 6:30 p.m. ET for a full report on the latest round of airline industry woes.

"It's just a sign of how desperate the airlines are to save weight so they can save fuel," David Field, U.S. editor for Airline Business Magazine, said Thursday. "US Airways is doing this because they're getting a couple hundred pounds off each of the airplanes."

Already, Field said carriers have replaced heavy drink carts with lighter plastic ones and installed lighter, cheaper and thinner seats.

In a last-ditch effort to save money, airlines have made extensive cuts in recent months from charging travelers to sit by the window, check a bag or stop eating pretzels.

They're even asking their best customers to pay extra fees instead of rewarding them for their service.

According to the Air Transport Association, a barrel of jet fuel comes in at $139.52 so far this year, up drastically from the $81.94 comparable price of jet fuel in 2007.

The spike means airlines have also announced they'll soon dramatically cut staff and stop flying to many towns and cities across the country to save money. In other words, the crisis will likely get worse in the fall.

And when that happens, will travelers even be able to get to their destinations?

"No," Field frankly said. "If you're planning Christmas or Thanksgiving travel, now is the time to book."