The cost for air travel for the upcoming holiday season is starting to take flight.

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Major air carriers are cutting the available seats and the number of flights -- all in an effort to improve the bottom line.

Upper Marlboro resident Laura Sullivan always travels to Louisville for the Christmas holiday. She's not sure she and her family will be able to afford it this year.

“It really may impact our decision,” Sullivan says. “It's going to be hard on the family but we're just going to kinda cut corners wherever we can...just to make that happen.”

Delta, American and United/Continental are all cutting up to 5 percent of their capacity heading into the last quarter of the year. Travel agents are telling consumers that waiting to book won't mean getting a cheaper fare.

(Mary Peters/Travel Agent) “They should be booking now and I believe for the best fare and for the best choices,” advises travel agent Mary Peters. “That's going to become an issue because the times and dates that they want are not going to be available.”

But not everyone is looking to make air travel part of their holiday plans.

“It's more of a hassle to drive but it’s just so much cheaper it's worth it,” said one potential traveler.