2005年NPR美国国家公共电台四月-Airlines Try Fare Hikes Again to Offset F

In our business news today we have a career check too but first the price of flying goes up.

Several major airlines have reinstated a ten-dollar fare increase on many domestic round-trips one day after they dropped it. NPR's Jack¹ Speer Reports:

Next to labor², fuel is the second largest expense for the airlines. The Air Transport Association, the industry's main trade group, says for every penny increase in the price of jet fuel it costs the industry another 180 million dollars. Michael Boyd is president of the Boyd Group, an aviation industry consulting firm.

The airline industry is in a situation, where suddenly after doing a lot of major cost-cutting over the last 2 years,all those cost cut can get eaten up by fundamental increases in fuel. They need time to restructure their entire system now.

But for the airlines time may be running out with the exception of carriers like Southwest which because of its strong financial condition have been able to hedge fuel. Many airlines are now buying fuel at market rates. And Boyd says even small increases in the price of jet fuel have a huge effect on the airlines.

It depends airline by airline, but for, say, Delta³ airlines, every penny is probably about 22 to 23 million dollars in terms of additional cost.

And with a number of the major carriers in bankruptcy⁴ or on the brink⁵, Boyd says this fare hike probably won't be the last.

This is code red. This is not like what we what we're gonna solve over the next 6 months. We're gonna see airlines probably file Chapter 11 bankruptcy just to protect their cash. If oil goes over 60 dollars a barrel, plan on it.

Airlines spent an additional 6 billion dollars on fuel last year with prices continuing to go up, analysts⁶ say that could go even higher this year.

Jack Speer, NPR News. Washington Jack Speer, NPR News. Washington

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

5 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。