Here's a thought.

If the airlines need to recoup higher costs, why not "bundle" a package of extras and sell them through annual memberships? I'm not talking about selling 2P, 1P or 1K, but consider the following:

United "Blue" - an annual membership which entitles you to: check 2 bags free; elimination of phone reservation fees; dedicated reservations and CS hotlines, etc.

United "Executive Blue" adds E+ seating to the package.

To "liven it up" a bit, UA could also throw in some drink chits, food chits, etc., and trumpet the outstanding retail value of these packages sold at a discounted price.

Americans love "bargains" and they love coupons. You can "upsell" a huge number of people if they think they're getting a good deal.