>>>>>And I thought the problem was the high fuel prices....

An interesting calculation in the Madison newspaper yesterday in answer to the question: "...on a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles, how much would the average coach ticket need to be raised to cover the increased cost of fuel?

The answer was that at $3.91 per gallon the fuel cost per pax on a 757 would be $77.36 one-way. An increase of $1 per gallon would increase the cost $19.78.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/loca...osities/301627