07/01/08 Rising Airline Prices

Airlines are getting very creative or "crafty" in their quest to cut rising fuel costs. Not only are they starting to charge extra "fees" for carry-on luggage on top of the already exorbitant cost of a ticket but they will now be charging for any beverage or snack item, and soon that small fleece blanket. And although they have been requiring oversized passengers to purchase two tickets for quite some time now, the criterion for determining the necessity of two airplane seats is becoming more stringent. With airlines installing more and smaller seats in the same amount of space in order to squeeze as many people on a flight as possible, many passengers may find themselves suddenly in the "oversized" class. You also may want to start rethinking your business travel plans in the near future. United Airlines says it will start dictating to customers the length of their trip as well, requiring minimum stays for nearly all domestic flights starting in October. It seems that airlines are on a flight pattern that will soon price them right out of the sky.