I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...
...ala carte fee structures are out of control! I flew down to Florida (ahh ... vacation) on Spirit in advance of their proposed carry-on tax, and the "low low fares" quickly added up to ridiculous numbers once you pay the airline piper each step along the way. Then, I went through the gauntlet at the Avis rental car desk, where every interaction was about getting more dollars added to the bill -- pre-pay gas options, optional insurance, ease with which I could upgrade to a convertible for just $11 more per day, use of the latest GPS technology. The clerk, probably someone's grandmother, was so working it -- complimenting my shirt, smiling the whole time except for when the convertible upgrade was turned down (when she instead gave me a face that would be internationally recognized as "aghast" should we ever need to represent that emotion pictorially on signage), slipping in bon mots about the peace of mind that full insurance coverage provides, etc. I felt the pressure of the situation as if someone was watching her from an office somewhere, torturing her grandchildren in amounts based on the final price of each sale she processed. As I struggled to keep the overall cost as consistent with the $23.99 advertised steal of a deal as possible, I probably caused some waterboarding or abacination to her family.
THE SECRET TO AIRLINE FEES -- AVOIDING CORPORATE FEDERAL TAXES:
http://kaseycarpenter.com/?p=211
SMORGASBORD OF TORTURE TECHNIQUES or (WHERE I LEARNED ABOUT ABACINATION):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_methods_of_torture
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