I do get crabby with people who glibly say to just use carry-on luggage – contact solution, hiking stick and various other things must be in checked bags for which you are charged.

And to answer the “unbundling” question – yes, there was an airfare increase. In case you missed it, the airlines stated that airfare increases get to the point that people object and stop flying, but if you unbundle a service that is not used by everyone, then the airfare becomes acceptable.

If an airline has to charge me for my food, my water, my baggage then so be it. But make it worth my while. If you lose my bag then you should refund me my baggage fee along with a set amount of money instantly, not tomorrow, not next week but within minutes of me realizing that my bag is lost.

Let me bring a sealed water bottle onto an aircraft and if not at least an empty bottle to fill up before boarding the plane. Since 9/11 security at the airports has reached a point where I feel its reasonable to call it excessive. After that day the TSA was created and it started to claim that we couldn’t have scissors, sharp objects or even contact lens solution in our carry on bags. Meanwhile in business and first class its a regular occurrence that passengers are given razor sharp steak knives. I fail to see the logic behind this as I’m sure a terrorist would be willing to spend the extra $2000 to get the knife without a risk of being caught if they’re intending on hijacking the plane. If a terrorist wants to hijack a plane, they will find a way. Even a pilot once told me that the security is ridiculous and that if someone is determined enough they are going to hijack the plane. In short, there will always be some risk, no matter what you do. Let me bring my own water, I’ll even take a sip in front of the security guard to show that its not a poison or an explosive. Not allowing this basic right is bordering extortion. You ask me to go on a plane with air that dehydrates passengers for up to 6 hours but don’t allow me to bring on my own water. I have no choice but to buy the water from the airline for an outrageous price.

Thirdly, let me bring on my own food without security threatening to arrest me because that Turkey hero from Subway is looking a bit too suspicious. It’s a simple request.

By comparison, a hotel which offers “free” breakfast or “free” wi-fi is taking liberties with language. Walk into an Embassy Suites as a non-guest and try to get the “free breakfast”. While the hotel does not charge separately for the breakfast, you must be a registered (i.e. paying) guest, in order to obtain this “free” benefit. Therefore, it does not met the legal definition of “free” or gratutitous.

Similarly, the airline ticket that you purchase comes with certain terms and conditions, all of which are factored into the fare. Whether you avail yourself of all of the benefits is of no import. Previously a coach class ticket included 2 pieces of checked luggage (under 50lbs) and one carryon. That is no longer the case.

The correct term is unbundling. That means that rather than charging for a “bundle” of good and services, the airlines are choosing to charge for each item separately. But in both circumstances, they are charging.