Fuel costs are rising, as are operational costs, and employee salaries and benefits. Remember, these senior captains are making in excess of $150,000 and most if not all are employed at the big national carriers (american, united, delta, etc).

They can either pass the rising costs onto consumers and stay afloat, or they can continue in cutthroat price competition bleed money. It is either sink or swim. It is the AIRLINES choice.

If customers want the absolute lowest price, then by all means, give it to them. Those that can survive will, and those that can’t won’t.

I just returned from an international trip with American Airlines and was absolutely WOWWED by the service and professionalism! (And to think they are expected to provide service with a smile while personally having about 30% less buying power than they did 5 years ago.) Sure it would be great to get it all at Wal Mart prices, but that’s not realistic either. Go ahead and try it, cut 30% out of your income and keep serving with a smile.

How is Southwest able to make money? They pack the planes. I have made lots of flights and never saw an empty seat on a Southwest plane. When I did fly other carriers (Southwest doesn’t go everywhere I do), the planes were half empty. Rather than focusing on taking as muahc money as possible from a shrinking pool of customers, the airlines should focus on filling the planes and cutting some costs (how about executive salaries for a start).

Let me sum it up this way, You can make a million dollars by taking a dollar from a million people or taking a million dollars from one person, what do you think will work best?

Fix the prices to match the costs plus some profit, just like every other industry, so you don’t have to come running to the American Taxpayer for another multi-million dollar bailout.

Travelers have a right to choose the airline they travel. Each person has the right to their own criteria for making decisions.

Airlines must raise prices to maintain a fair profit margin. (Are you listening oil companies? Fair!!)

In this person’s humble opinion, what the airlines must do (but I know they won’t) is let people compare apples to apples.

Just as many people advocate a flat tax, I believe airlines should charge for an all inclusive ticket (one price – one trip (round trip or one way)).

Otherwise where will it stop, American Airlines? How about pay toilets?

After all, I can hold it for most flights?? Why should I pay for the fuel, cost of carrying, and maintaining the toilet for my flight?

Why? Think about it. Many businesses today won’t let you use their bathrooms and others charge you, so why should the airlines be any different?

Why should there be any amenities on an airplane ride? Well, they started out because flights (A) were too so long and (B) were an adventure, worthy of your Sunday best.

Today planes are faster, but amenities are just as necessary after waiting through all the lines and indignities one goes through when traveling by air.

One simply wants to sit down, relax, and take it easy to their destination.

Actually, I wonder if the new air rage we’re seeing might be related to the additional events one must go through when flying. Flying used to be an adventure best savored now it is an adventure worthy of …. fill in the blank yourself.

First, Southwest is a great airline, but don’t lose sight of the fact that a significant part of the reason that they’ve been able make money and keep fares low over the last several years is because of fuel hedges that have worked wonders. In other words, several years ago, Southwest bet that fuel prices would go up significantly and it turned out to be a great gamble. Other airlines must meet their rock bottom fares and operate without the same fuel hedges.

Second, no matter what your readers say, as customers, they are extremely price sensitive. As airlines raise fares by just a few dollars, bookings drop off. The average customer looks to pay as little as possible when travelling and doesn’t really distinguish between airlines.

Finally, it may make seem like the nickle and dime treatment, but in my opinion, paying for bags makes sense. The airplane costs more to operate as airplane weight goes up. If you want to really make it fair, each passenger should stand on a scale with his/her luggage and be charged accordingly. The petite young woman with a purse goes for half of the fare of a Summo Wrestler with 3 checked bags.

WRT these individual fees and nickle and diming, “The Mythical Man-Month” reminds us Adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit or Add little to little and there will be a big pile. And it will be a big stinking pile.

Seems to me that a suitable way, short of not flying in the first place, to “protest” nickle and diming would be to respond in kind – paying the baggage check fees in nickles and dimes.

Really what is the difference between the “discount” carrier and the “full” service carrier? NOTHING. It takes me from point A to point B with my luggage in tow.

That being said, as a business traveler and for my own personal needs, I don’t fly American, United, Delta or Northwest anyway so they can raise their fares all they want. I avoid these carriers at all costs and if the choice is fly American or don’t travel well let’s just say that 9 times out of 10 I don’t travel. Love Continental, give me JetBlue, and Southwest any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Even if I can afford to pay more for “full” service, I just won’t do it – better use of my money than that.