Well, I thought that someone might point out the fuel surcharge. That is a valid point, but the fuel surcharge is added on when fuel prices have a rather drastic increase and do not make up for the increased fuel cost to the airline. I personally think that the fuel surcharge while not immediately added to the ticket price, is very slowly-too slowly- removed. The increased taxes and fees charged to the airline and to the passengers have been one of the big factors in increased ticket prices. In years past, when I traveled internationally, my airline as a courtesy, paid my international taxes and fees. The cost increased to the point that they could no longer do that. I was shocked when I was billed at the end of each month for those taxes and fees. I have seen fares offered by my airline from a US city to Montego Bay where taxes and fees added up to one half of the total ticket price. From that remaining half of the fare the airline had to pay for insurance, fuel, other airport fees,labor cost. food and beverage cost and the amortized cost of a 60 to over 100 million dollar aircraft. Sometimes, I think that the airline business is some sort of cash flow scam! We, the American middle class and working class which are pretty much one and the same, are so fortunate to be able to enjoy air travel that was once primarily the domain of the well off business men and the so called "jet set". An older friend of mine that flew as a pilot from New York to Europe in the 1940's and the 1950's said that the passengers were almost exclusively the very wealthy and movie stars. Then with no security threats, passengers were welcome in the cockpit. I was fascinated with his stories of meeting people such as Charles Lindberg, and just about every major Hollywood star. In fact, he was a rather good looking guy, and as a result of meeting so many stars and Hollywood big shots, he was signed to a contract with a major studio and appeared in some productions. When I flew with him as a young pilot, we teased him about being a "ham" when he made PA's using his stage voice.