Letters: Look, up in the sky -- it’s misery

Re “Airline fees sap joy out of flying,” Column, Dec. 11

It’s amazing that most airlines are perennial money-losers in spite of all their gimmicks to generate more income.

Last week, I looked up a round-trip fare from Orange County to Minneapolis on Southwest Airlines that left the same day. The fare was $301; a completely refundable senior fare was $352. By contrast, Bill Knauer, the 76-year-old traveler Lazarus profiled, paid $443 for his non-refundable ticket to Minneapolis on US Airways. He was charged $150 when he needed to cancel his trip.

I’ve had to change flights on Southwest. If it’s a more expensive flight, I pay the difference in price. If it’s less expensive, the difference is refunded to my account. And Southwest is profitable.

I don’t own any Southwest stock, but I wish I did.

Bernard Patnode

Lake Forest

When Knauer was flying around the country in the 1960s, his coast-to-coast , round-trip, government-regulated ticket cost about $400. That’s equivalent to about $3,000 today. And with a bit of planning and thanks to airline deregulation, he can still get across the country and back for that same $400. How’s that for value?

We should learn to stop complaining.

Raymon C. Riordan

Arcadia

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