Fee politics

Sometimes I feel like I live on another planet.  Another planet with a different reality or perspective.  Maybe I came from the planet Krypton.  You know, the mythical planet where Superman had moved from.

I don’t know if it’s just me but what is wrong with this picture;  The airlines and the Airline Passenger Association are all up in a spastic lather about the Federal Aviation Agency wanting to raise user fees in order to fund TSA airport security agents and other Homeland security functions.   

And in the meantime the airlines themselves are raising fees on heavy baggage and other “essential” fees.  Bags weighing over 70-pounds.  And fees on other check-in or carry-on bags.

Now the FAA fee is something like a 15-dollar fee for one round trip ticket.  Plus a 100-dollar fee for each corporate or commercial airline take off and landing.  Certainly a noticeable fee but nothing the passenger or airline can’t handle.  Or, I guess, get rid of the TSA security folks.  Not a good idea.

However, the airlines are charging fees upwards to450-dollars per bag over 70-pounds.  A huge difference in airline fees and FAA fees.  I don’t get it.

It’s almost like airlines can charge any fee but the government can’t because it might be pronounced as a TAX.  Holy moly another tax.  Yeah right.  It’s the new reality I guess.  You just roll with the punches when airlines raise fees.  But, if the federal government raises fees it’s crimes against humankind.