cheap air fares, cheap airline tickets

Wow! Has there ever been a worse time to be travelling via airliner? It sure seems like it, with fares going up almost weekly, and each week bringing new announcements of additional charges that air travelers must deal with for things like drinks, blankets, pillows and so on. It really feels like the cheap air fares that we've gotten used to are going to be a thing of the past. I guess I can understand where it's all coming from. With the fare wars of the last decade or so, airlines were desperately trying to undercut one another in an effort to get our business. But those cheap air fares were hurting the airlines and steadily eroding profits, making impossible for some air carriers to stay in business. So I'm thinking that cheap airline tickets will be going away, possibly forever, as airlines adjust their fare schedules to ensure that they'll stay profitable. Because of this, bargain air fares will be a great deal higher than they were in previous decades, and I honestly have no idea what the lowest air fares will look like next year. It's going to hurt to have to pay more for air travel, but with steadily rising fuel costs, it only makes sense for air carriers to charge more plane tickets.