The fleecing of the flying public continues

Just when you thought the airlines couldn’t possibly slap you with any more add-on fees, they come up with yet another way to fang you in the wallet.

You already know how they bump up their fares during certain peak travel days — a few days before a big holiday, for instance? Well, five airlines — American, Delta, Continental, United and US Airways — will be adding a $10 to $30 surcharge to fares for flights on peak travel days this summer.

Each way, naturally.

(Perhaps we should say four airlines, given the impending merger between Continental and United.)

And what, in the view of these airlines, are the peak travel days this summer? The correct answer is: ALL SUMMER. And it’s already folded into the cost of your ticket, so declining is not an option.

Surprise!

Gary Stoller of USAToday drops the details on this latest consumer rip-off.

That’s right, I said it: This is a rip-off!

There are two pieces of good news in this. The first is that this only affects domestic flights, which means you have options — if you have the time — to take the train or the bus or drive yourself.

The other bit of good news is that several of the low-fare airlines out there, such as Southwest and JetBlue, are not charging these fees.

What I want to know is: When did the airlines become the silent partner of passenger trains in America? Because the more they play this fee game, the better Amtrak looks to a whole lot of folks.

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