The fundamental thing I don't understand is the business model of charging less than the service costs. If almost every carrier lost money last quarter, that says across the board fares need to be raised.

If the fares are raised and the American populace stops flying, well, sad to say, but I guess some companies will go out of business. I certainly don't want to see that happen, but I don't see how they are going to stay in business given the current trends.

On one hand, if the company is losing money because they aren't charging enough to cover expenses, eventually they will most certainly go out of business. That is a given.

On the other hand, if the company raises prices to cover expenses, and some customers may not come back, then the company might go out of business. That is a maybe.

I'm no bean counter, nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but it seems to me like fares need to go up whether or not the American people will pay them.