Rising fuel costs are affecting everything around us. It is not just the price of what it takes you to fill up your tank, but we are also paying more for just about everything.
As consumers, we are on the bottom rung of the new trickle down economic policy. It is one of trickling down the increases in production and transportation costs.
There are several industries and businesses who have done their best to try and absorb as much of these costs as they can. In a down economy, it doesn’t generate more business when the cost of your goods or services continue to rise.
But we understand if you are open and honest about why you have to do it and your CEO and share holders are not raking in obscene, record profits at the same time.
But some have become sneaky about pushing them on to us. The food industry is one who has perfected this skill over a long period of time. Have you tried to buy a pound of Folger’s coffee in a few years? Their cans have contained less than 16 ounces for some time.
Many foods are coming out in smaller containers or with less in them. So you go and buy what you think is the same amount of groceries you did a week ago, and then run out before the week is out.
The industry that is really trying to push the limits of creative cost recovery is the airline industry.
Within a week, airlines went from charging for over weight bags to charging for any second bag to charging for any checked bag.
They already have taken away all the small little perks of flying, like food. Most people didn’t care since it was bad any way.
But now you can’t even take your clothes with you if you are going on vacation unless you pay $30 a bag.
So everyone will be trying to stuff everything into their carry on again, The flight attendants and gate personnel will have to step into the role of the carry on police.
They have never done that well doing that anyway. Before 9-11 the carry on issue was getting out of control. It was so bad that the first round of people that boarded took up 90 percent of the overhead space.
I used to see a lot of things go on the plane that wouldn’t have fit in that little test container they placed at the gate for you to make sure you were following guidelines. It was a rare day that anyone was ever stopped and their stuff taken away and checked.
I would bet that may be the case again. It won’t endear anyone to an industry that has abused it’s consumers for years.
I say just figure out what it will cost me to fly from point A to point B and charge me that cost. As a matter of fact, charge everyone on the plane going from point A to point B the same price and we will all pay a bit less.
Raise prices if you must, but just do it without all the games involved.
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