It's probably also a calculated misery: why newspapers don't want you to read their articles

Can someone summarize the article or something?

Knowing that group N passengers may be forced to check their bags, the pricing to put yourself in group N - 1 is your “calculated misery”. Repeat across other airline convenience fees like seating.

They might as well be honest and say they want to sell your data but gdpr won't let them

they want you to be uncomfortable.

same

Did your region pass laws to the effect of "foreign companies, do all this stuff to give our people special treatment or you can't serve them," only for Surprised Pikachu to make an appearance when many companies have said "OK, we'll go with option two, you're not as special and important as you think"? Laws have consequences.

Don't know the OP's region, but my region, Europe passed a consumer protection law, that says basically that we must be able to opt out of tracking and automated profiling, if we choose so, without disruption to the service.

Laws have consequences, but without consumer protection laws, the consumers are be walked over by the corporations every time, everywhere.