I dont think they r flying with too little fuel, but surely not as much extra fuel as they used to when it was at 1/10 the price. more fuel costs more to carry around and makes a big difference. As the article states, the airlines are required to have extra fuel, enough to go to an alternate airport in case a diversion (due to weather or whatever) is needed, plus 45 minutes of flying beyond that. Keep in mind that only pilots who disagree withe the fuel rules are probably reporting on the NASA database so u get one side of the arguement there. I dont think it is such a safety concern but it sure makes for sensational journalism and congressmanship.