Airline woes will continue

That's the latest from the soothsayers.

The Associated Press is reporting that delays are likely to get worse throughout the summer, though it may not be because of maintenance issues. (New York area airports and those in Chicago (O'Hare) and Minneapolis will be worst hit, they project.)

Randall Travel Marketing, a respected trend watcher, thinks more regional airline carriers may go under in wake of rising fuel costs. They mention a story from Airline Weekly: "Aloha Airlines and Skybus joined ATA in bankruptcy recently. Alitalia is also on the brink of bankruptcy. RTM expects to see this trend continue throughout 2008 due to rising fuel costs and weak management plans. Mostly affected will be smaller, regional carriers."

Get advice and more info from travel advocate Christopher Elliott, columnist for MSNBC.