With historical perspective a $2,900 premium transcon is not so bad. I well recall routinely paying more than $2,000 for coach transcons SEA-NYC before 9/11 -- before the bottom fell out.

Coach and F fares have both been inching up this month, in the slow season too... a function not only of spiking oil prices and low capacity but the inevitably oligarchic hammerlock the three remaining national network carriers are applying to the market. Mergers consolidate pricing power and hurt consumers.