Flying Low

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It's unlikely anyone will be stuck with a ticket on a defunct airline, as some Pan-Am and Midway flyers were. And paying by credit card can diminish the risk further. But think twice before buying stock in the airline you're flying on.

The airlines are staying alive, in part because most top companies have billions in cash or assets to draw on. But the current formula of reduced schedules, high costs, low-priced tickets and government aid isn't a long-run strategy. "We're all throwing cheap fares at people so they'll take the hook and find out flying is just as safe as ever," says Bethune. "Yields will return when the economy returns." And when travelers going through their checklist of concerns decide they're ready to fly. When they do, particularly if it happens during this critical holiday season, the industry will truly have something to be thankful for.