What may be lost in all this is the following sobering reality:

Even if airlines were able to raise ticket prices, fees, etc. to the point where they were profitable entities, who would be buying those tickets with oil at $130+/bbl? How many will voluntarily pay 25-40% more for an air ticket than they did last year? Not that many, I say.

With oil prices where they are, the entire airline industry is as economically viable as a full-sized SUV. Sadly, the airline industry doesn't have a Prius alternative.