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Personally, I don't have a problem with this. It makes no sense to offer discount pricing when you have ever-increasing passenger demand on a system with limited capacity.

They will keep charging a buck here, three there and wonder why people are getting nastier as they fly.

The ideal scenario would be for large numbers of these people to simply stop flying. It wasn't all that long ago that airline travel was considered a luxury. Maybe it needs to become a luxury once again.

Amen! Yes the airlines are not living in a supply and demand world. Like homeowners insurance in So. Florida pre-Andrew, they are not charging enough and simply just want to gain market share. They are selling a seat at let's say an average of $200 roundtrip when the real price should be $300 to cover ALL their cost, not simply the cost of the flight crew, maintenance and fuel. When the airlines don't charge enough they have to get more and more creative in cost cutting. Most airlines have cut costs to the bone, working on 1% body fat and the reality of Darwinian capitalism is coming to pass. Like the opposite of collusion, market pressure and competition so strong that they all wind up putting each other out of business. If Delta, Northwest and the other major carriers would get sane and price the seats accordingly, after a rough patch where the discount carriers would die then the airline industry could emerge much healthier. Example is flights from Orlando to WPB are $150 roundtrip. I mean why is it necessary to fly when the car trip would take 2.5 hours? How much is the airline blowing on that route?