One thing that the story doesn't mention is that business travelers are some of the people that suffer the most, because we are required (usually, and unless you're some sort of corporate higher-up) to book the cheapest seats that we can find. Ironic because we travel quite a lot more than "regular people". I guess this is something that could be dealt with on a corporate policy level, and isn't necessarily the problem of an airline, but it's just interesting to notice.
> But the fee model comes with systematic costs that are not immediately obvious. Here’s the thing: in order for fees to work, there needs be something worth paying to avoid. That necessitates, at some level, a strategy that can be described as “calculated misery.” Basic service, without fees, must be sufficiently degraded in order to make people want to pay to escape it. And that’s where the suffering begins.