The surge in Asia/Pacific demand makes last-minute flights especially difficult to obtain compared with even a year ago. Then calling the day of travel presented no problem. The region has experienced a more than 10% increase since 2009 from a year earlier, as compared to the European gain of 4.4% and 6.7% for North America.

Although United leads U.S. airlines in China service, it plans to start Los Angeles-Shanghai flights next May. American Airlines will add service on the same route and may fly to Hong Kong and Guangzhou as well.

Delta is especially active in the hunt. In addition to Seattle-to-Beijing and Detroit-to-Hong Kong flights that initiated in June of this year, the company has announced Tokyo-Guangzhou service for April of next year, followed by twice-weekly service between Atlanta and Shanghai in June 2011, and five flights per week from Detroit to Beijing beginning next July. Recently established Japan-Hawaii service has also been doing well.

Hawaiian Airlines introduced Honolulu-to-Tokyo service in November 2010 and will add Seoul as a destination in January 2011.

Singapore Airlines increased their weekly business-class-only flight to Los Angeles from five to seven offering this past October and implemented the same increase for its Singapore-Moscow-Houston service. Hong Kong’s biggest airline, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., is also a major competitor in the region.

China service was cut heavily due to the recession as U.S. carriers deferred service to Beijing and Guangzhou over other destinations. Overall, the eight largest U.S. airlines posted net losses of $15.1 billion in 2008 and $3.5 billion in 2009.

The group’s return to profit this year, with third-quarter net income of $2.4 billion, has begun a fresh round of expansion, particularly for Asian destinations. Profit for all carriers serving Asia and the Pacific is forecast to hit $5.2 billion this year. United indicated that per-seat revenue on Pacific service rose 41 percent last quarter in comparison with the third quarter of 2010. Delta had a 45 percent surge and American posted a 21 percent increase.

Overseas flight revenue for U.S. companies is expected to climb about 10% in 2011. On the other hand, domestic service is forecast to increase just 1%.

Also, discount carriers are not a major factor on trans-Pacific routes which allows airlines more control over pricing. Then too, airlines value the flights because corporate travelers will pay a premium for first or business class on trips of 10 hours or more, such as United’s nonstops between San Francisco and Shanghai. In the past year, fares have sky-rocketed. Japan Airlines business class tickets to Tokyo on go for up to $10,000 round trip; a year ago that ticket could be had for just $3,500, if you planned ahead.

Service to Tokyo will be more convenient thanks to provisions of an ‘Open-Skies Treaty’ that allows U.S. carriers use Tokyo’s Haneda airport for the first time in three decades. Delta will offer Haneda flights from Los Angeles and Detroit in February, while American flies there from New York. Hawaiian’s Tokyo flights also will use Haneda, a 13-minute train ride to Tokyo’s main loop rail line, saving up to an hour of transit time. Foreign carriers have only been allowed to fly to Narita International Airport up to now, 40 miles from downtown Tokyo.

Infrequent travelers unfamiliar with security regulations new and old will probably add to long check-in and screening lines and additional hassles. TSA installation of more than six times as many full-body scanners since last holiday season is likely to result in additional slowdowns when passengers who decline the scan are checked by physical pat-downs instead. The number of scanners in use will increase by another 66% (to five hundred by New Year’s Eve.

As more savvy passengers trying to avoid checked bag fees on most big airlines of up to $25 per bag each way jockey for overhead bin space, passenger and crew frustrations will probably escalate and delays at gates will be more common while excess luggage is stowed in the hold.

And then there’s the cost of this year’s holiday trip. Domestic holiday fares are up 7.4% from 2009. International tickets are 14% higher than a year ago. There’s a glimmer of holiday cheer though; 2010 prices are less than those of 2008.

Even with all those negatives, on average 90% of aircraft seats will be filled on the busiest Thanksgiving flights on November 19, 24, 28 and 29. The percentage of seats filled this year will finish at its highest since 1944, when loads reached 88% percent.

Airlines made the deepest seating cuts since 1942 during the recession. The reduced capacity caused the largest companies to raise fares. As a result, they have experienced two consecutive quarterly profits for the first time since 2007.

Travelers can expect to pay up to $60 more per round-trip ticket from now through January 31, the 24 days of peak holiday demand, which, of course, have an extra charge. Seats may be cheaper for travelers willing to travel several days before Thanksgiving or on Christmas Eve or on the holiday itself.

Southwest Airlines will not continue premium service on AirTran once their planned merger is complete. United Airlines is undecided about keeping first class on international fights when it merges with Continental Airlines, which offers a combined business/first class on such flights. Both United and Continental currently offer first class on domestic flights.

Premium seating is key to profitability for many airlines. In the first six months of 2010first class and business class represented less than 8 percent of total passengers, but 27 percent of ticket revenues for international traffic. Airlines are in constant competition to upgrade amenities like meal and wine service and Bose noise-canceling headphones to highlight their differences in the premium cabin. the next move may be lie-flat beds.

Many U.S. carriers have decided to improve business class while eliminating first. Others have kept first class primarily as upgrades or as leverage when competing for corporate accounts. But that tactic may be counter-productive today, as premium class seats have more accessible at a lower price point by using frequent flier miles and other discounts. This has hurt carriers in lost revenue lessens the value of premium classes to consumers.

Some foreign airlines are investing a lot of money to improve products and luxuries for premium passengers. These include Emirates, with showers on some aircraft, and Singapore Airlines, with an ultra-wide business class seat. Some carriers, including United and British Airways have introduced a fourth class ― premium economy, a hybrid of coach and business offering more cabin space, larger seats, extra leg room and more services than standard coach.

Henry H. Harteveldt, travel analyst for Forrester Research, predicts that “airlines are going to raise economy fares, offer more aggressive opportunities to upgrade via e-mail and at kiosks, increase the size of coach cabins, shrink business-class cabins and reduce or eliminate first class.“ That would mean fewer premium seats and fewer upgrades or free frequent-flier seats, which will increase profit margin. However, some believe carriers risk losing the competitive edge when it comes to high-end customers as they continue to cut back, seeing service as an expense instead of an opportunity.

The new MadAsHellAboutHiddenFees.com website is intended as a forum for travelers upset about unbundled airfares and unexpected fees. The site was developed by the Business Travel Coalition, the American Society of Travel Agents, and the Consumer Travel Alliance to share stories about surprise fees and circulate a petition protesting them.

This organized protest over hidden fees is a new shot in a battle that is gathering momentum as the deadline for comments on the latest proposals from the Department of Transportation (DOT) approaches on Sept. 23.

DOT seeks to widen the passenger protections laid out in tarmac-delay rules established last spring. The agency is proposing, among other things, fair-price advertising, increased compensation for denied-boarding situations (involuntary bumps), expanded tarmac-delay rules to cover small airports and international carriers, and better disclosure of baggage fees and other added charges.

The ancillary-fee issue promises the greatest impact on travelers. U.S. airlines took in $7.8 billion in ancillary revenues in 2009 — $2.7 billion of that in baggage fees — and they’re on pace to top number for 2010. À la carte airline fees have the attention of Congress, where Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) calls them “backdoor price increases” because they are charged for services and amenities that used to be included in the cost of flying.

About half of all airline tickets sold in the U.S. are through airline websites; the rest by third-party vendors — Expedia, Kayak, retail travel agents. On airline sites the fees aren’t always clearly displayed or easily discovered. Airlines are unwilling to share the ancillary cost data with the systems that support the vast majority of bookings. This makes comparison shopping practically impossible.

In the coming weeks, airline industry representatives will likely file their comments on the proposed regs. Transparency advocates will be busy organizing a ‘Mad as Hell Day’ on Sept. 23.

Not all peak travel times are created equal. The sweet spot when tickets are cheapest can vary by weeks, according to travel data analyzed by Expedia for The Associated Press. Based on an analysis of ticket prices over the last four years, Expedia has found that the best time to book for the Fourth of July was between one and two months in advance.

As for Labor Day, the rules change dramatically. Those looking to travel that weekend, based on trends, can get the best deal buying 3 or 4 weeks in advance. Prices jump 10 percent from their lowest points if you wait 1 to 2 weeks out. They’re 30 percent higher, on average, if you book less than a week before summer’s last hurrah.

But how can two holiday weekends so close together have such different rules for snagging cheap fares? Expedia analyst Daniel Kissin said it’s all in the timing. Fourth of July, although it’s more of a popular driving holiday, still gets loads of people in the skies every year. Labor Day, on the other hand, isn’t as popular because it usually coincides with back to school.

Following the old fashioned rule of supply and demand, it makes sense to book early for the most popular travel holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day. At other times of the year, though, it’s better to gamble and hold out for that cheaper fare closer to your travel date.

The rules of low fares are evolving quickly as airlines recover from the recession. Last year, procrastination was the name of the game. Because travel demand was sluggish, airlines discounted seats or launched fare sales close to flight time. But this year, travel demand is inching up and airlines have slimmed their fleets. That means fewer seats with more demand — the perfect equation for higher fares.

Even though airlines are trying to raise fares across the board, it’s clearly not all working out. On less-traveled weekends, consumers with an eye for bargains still have a leg up. Certain destinations also have different rules. Procrastinators with island dreams, listen up: That flight to Hawaii will be cheaper the more you wait.

The reason? Kissin said because Hawaii is a more expensive destination, travelers tend to book earlier. The airlines know that. And if flights aren’t full within a couple weeks of departure, discounts are bound to pop up. The same could be said about flights overseas to Europe, Asia or other hot spots — so keep a steady hand. A cheaper fare might be a few days away.

When you’re ready to book that flight, don’t forget to book the hotel, too. Expedia spokesman Adam Anderson says booking separately is one of the biggest money-losing mistakes people make. Reserving everything together online could save you hundreds of dollars depending on the price of your trip.