That's just the thing "pay the extra money"--okay, fine, but we are doing this all time just to get back to where we were a few years ago minus the "pay the extra money" part of the equation. It's not just airlines that are screwing us, but grocery chains come quickly to mind, and basically any place where the runaway inflation is being passed on to us all the while everyone thinks this is "normal" and "fine" and all the while I think I'm going crazy because I'm the only one who noticed that 14.2oz. is the new 16oz. and ice cream that used to be sold by the half gallon is now 1.5qt. and NOBODY raises a stink about this?

It is NOT OKAY.

It is the kind of thing previous generations would start fights over when a merchant was so blatantly screwing them over.

Cut the entitlement lines. "previous generations" mostly couldn't afford to fly at all because it was so expensive relative to normal incomes. Today people can afford to fly on very low incomes in these economy seats you're getting flustered about.

Here's a hint, pay for first class. That's the equivalent level of service and price range that previous generations received (inflation adjusted).

I don't really have a choice if I want to use air travel.

Or my other choice is be (more) uncomfortable.