As airlines raise fees instead of fares, taxpayers pick up the tab

[xchrom]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/as-airlines-raise-fees-instead-of-fares-taxpayers-pick-up-the-tab/2012/10/19/4b0f14d8-0746-11e2-a10c-fa5a255a9258_story.html

For those who fly, the squeeze has become the way to beat the system.

“We take the maximum amount on board and squeeze it in,” said Susan Williams, explaining how she and and her family avoid baggage fees on flights from Reagan National Airport.

The art of the squeeze is a matter of measurements. When Ross Davis flew to San Francisco last week he paid $25 to check his larger bag but squeezed his other bag, five inches smaller, into the overhead compartment.

American taxpayers are feeling the squeeze, too, even those who never board an airplane.

[longship]

1. Fuck the airlines! Take Amtrak.

That's what I do. I love flying, but I despise traveling by air. One feels like cattle.

Take Amtrak and feel human again. Food in the diner car is great, too. You get to see scenery. You meet people. It's an adventure in itself. Comfort, too.