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Consumer rally keeps meals on United flights -- what about other fees?

by Grant Martin (RSS feed) on Sep 3rd 2008 at 2:00PM

Nice work team. Late last week we reported that United Airlines was going to charge for meals on overseas flights departing from Washington Dulles. Thanks to a great deal of outcry from United's passengers, bloggers and you readers, the embattled airline has now decided to rescind their decision.

A small victory in the face of many negative changes that have recently plagued the airline industry.

So with the price of oil sinking back to outrageous prices (down from take-a-second-mortgage-on-your-condo prices), are we going to start to see fewer ridiculous fees? Will fuel surcharges drop back down after taking a leap through the roof?

Don't count on it. In some ways, oil prices were an excuse for the airline industry to make back some of the inflationary ground that they haven't been pursuing over the last twenty years. At least this way some of our favorite carriers might be able to start operating consistently in the black rather than the cyclical merger-bankruptcy model that isn't working.

I'm dedicating my next soggy chicken and spinach airplane meal to you, Gadling readers. Keep up the good work.

Filed under: Business, Airlines, News

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