Some economists also argue that people who have delayed replacing big-ticket items like air conditioners and dishwashers aren't likely to hold out much longer and could soon start buying.

NPR: Stocks Tied To The Consumer Are Hot. Maybe Too Hot

Backed by the acquisition of VIA Travel, the company witnessed a 14% y-o-y increase in air ticket revenues though it does not anticipate the positive trend to continue in the future.

FORBES: Hotel Bookings Fuel Expedia's Growth But Costs A Worry

Some excesses have been abolished, such as flat-rate travel expenses often worth five times the actual cost of an air ticket.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

"We compete in the land of the giants, " says Jones, 56, a onetime fighter pilot for the Air Force who later spent 15 years coaxing Congress and the Pentagon to fund big-ticket Rockwell International programs like the B-1 bomber.

FORBES: Top Gun

Jeannard, who was wearing a shirt with an Air France logo and captain's epaulets on his shoulder, had a ticket for a Florida-bound US Airways flight Wednesday and asked at the check-in counter for an upgrade, authorities said.

NPR: New Charges For Man Accused Of Impersonating Pilot

Although Air Force One's operating costs per person far exceed the cost of even a first-class commercial ticket, the logic is that it's unfair to charge the president's campaign for the full cost of operating Air Force One because he has no choice but to fly on the presidential plane for security reasons.

CNN: The perks of presidential travel