It’s not looking like a great summer to be traveling. What’s working out well for the airlines may not be great for passengers.

Planes promise to be as full as they’ve been at any time since World War II when troops were flying home, reports the New York Times. Apart from that morbid fear of being jammed in that middle seat between two 350-pound linebackers, expect to see fares rise and fewer frills like drinks and meals.

And the misery is likely to be compounded by the federal government’s struggle to keep the Transport Security Administration checkpoints fully-manned and operational. As Business Press reported earlier this month, McCarran will barely have enough after a last-minute addition of another 100 screeners to carry the summer load. Even so, airport spokesperson Rosemary Vassiliadis, said McCarran is “woefully short” of security staff to keep the lines flowing.

One former baggage handler is now operating as a stress counselor for airline workers in Denver. The gate agents are receiving the brunt of the customer attack but even if you allow for all the things that the staff cannot control, airlines seem capable of doing woefully stupid things that compound delays. (Fill in your own horror story here.)

Still you have to have some sympathy for airline workers who will have to pack 2 million more passengers on 4 percent fewer flights than a year ago. And hopes for that spare middle seat are all but gone. One analyst tells the Times, ”Travelers longing for an empty middle seat are recommended to buy one.”

And USA Today reports that airport parking will also be at a premium. If you thought McCarran was bad, take a look at the way airports like Atlanta and Dallas get parked out even though they have three to six times the amount of parking we do.

It’s a struggle for locals at McCarran but most passengers here are going home so they take a cab or rent a car. But it’s still going to be one hellacious summer in the skies, so be warned.