Well a difference in opinion about airline fees United adds $800 in fees to a $560 trip

We caught this USA Today article that reports a survey a majority of passengers are willing to accept cheap fares with a la cart fees. More than half of US air travelers now prefer buying the cheapest available ticket, then paying fees for "extras" such as food and drink, preferred seating and checking bags.

Perhaps something is skewed in the survey methodology. Just ask Greg Dean who has sworn off United Airlines because the amount of a la cart fees for his Austin to Sacramento flights.
From the Consumerist: We have a feeling this is going to happen with increasing frequency as airlines continue to bleed once-loyal customers for extra revenue: Greg Dean, the cartoonist behind Real Life Comics, has had enough of United gouging him.

Delta adds $15 Check Baggage Fee

Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's biggest carrier, said Wednesday it will impose a $15 fee to check a first bag for customers flying within the U.S.

The carrier also said it is cutting certain other fees as it aligns its policies with those of Northwest Airlines, which it acquired last week.

Link from the International Herald Tribune

Will fares go so high that only the rich can fly?

This USA article discusses the sharp rise in airfare this year. The law of unintended consequences rears its ugly head with the fact that if airfares continue to rise, only the rich will be able to afford them. With less passengers flying, the airlines will not be able to cover their costs, despite the increased fare. With less revenue...less passengers paying higher fares do not necessarily translate into more revenue...the airlines will lose even more money. Read how the traditionally higher paying fare customers, the business travelers, are adapting to the higher fares by cutting back on their travel. By the way, how is it that Southwest, now the largest domestic carrier in the United States, able to weather this temporary higher fuel costs storm and remain profitable? Is it better management? Better business model? Are the nickel and dime fees now the vogue for the legacy airlines driving more passengers to Southwest instead of raising revenue for themselves? Remember Southwest has determinately abstained from adding fees to its fares. Instead they have used their "fees don't fly with us" policy as their new marketing slogan with great success. From the Southwest website, " We despise fees as much as the other airlines seem to love them. So we'll just keep taking care of you, rather than charging fees for the stuff that should come with your fare in the first place. We believe in not asking you to pull out your wallet every few minutes."