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I'm not usually one to defend the airlines, but c'mon people... you sound like spoiled children. Demanding the lowest price possible for airline tickets, combined with the expectation that prices will never rise, inevitably means that airlines are going to have to start charging for things like food. But seriously... if its a choice between bad airline food and a lower price, price will win every time. But really... do these people actually miss airline food? Or are they just looking for something to complain about? My guess is it is the second.

Personally, I don't mind paying extra for food. I don't mind paying extra for a seat near the front of the plane, or in an exit row, or even on the aisle. All so long as we're not talking about too much more, of course. But that's the point, isn't it? Offer the services and let the market sort out the price.

But.... (you knew that was coming, didn't you)

If the airlines expect us to pay extra for all these things, they're going to have to give us one or two things in return. First of all, space. My guess is that if you gave passengers back an extra 3 or 4 inches of legroom, many of the complaints you hear about additional fees would disappear. Its only a hunch, but I suspect that most of what's driving customers complaints about the airlines is really an overall lack of comfort . You are, after all, paying several hundred dollars for your flight. Spending it staring at the back of a strangers head that's just three or four inches from your own is a bit infuriating given the expense. Second, entertainment. I know most of the major carriers have old fleets, but so long JetBlue is around that response is irrelevant. If a "low cost carrier" can offer individual monitors, satellite TV and lower prices, no excuse is going to satisfy peopl. And given how much technology has changed in the last decade, watching a bad movie (followed by an endless series of commercials for horrible sitcoms on one of the major TV networks) on a tiny little TV attached to the ceiling of the plane just seems so.... 1980's.

And about those people complaining about airlines charging for pillows and blankets. People... Do you realize that there are no federal regulations requiring airlines to wash those things on a regular basis? That's right... NO regulations. I think I'll just let that one sink in for a moment....

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