The airline industry repeatedly ranks as one of the least respected in commerce. The airlines have had a tough adolescence following deregulation. They're trying to figure out what you should get for the price of your ticket. You may have heard that United Airlines is testing the waters with a $25 fee for checking more than one bag. This is part of the process of unbundling what you get when you buy a ticket. The actual product airlines offer is the kerosene to fly you from point A to point B and some semblance of a seat. Remember the old skit about Straphangers' Airline? It was a standing-room only airline where you just got a strap to hang on to like in the subway. Thankfully, nobody is proposing that yet!

Clark thinks people shouldn't be fired up at United. The cost of hiring baggage handlers is a true cost, not to mention the hassle and trust that's lost whenever a bag goes missing. From a bottom line perspective, the airline's bean counters would love it if no one could check a bag. Of course, United's flight attendants would hate having to deal with all those carry-on bags in the cabin. So you should become familiar with UPS and FedEx if there's a lot you have to take when you fly. Try shipping your stuff instead of paying the baggage charges. It's more likely to get there! Isn't it funny that the sophisticated airlines don't have the simple package-tracking capabilities that UPS and FedEx have had for years?

The United move shows that more a la carte fees are coming in the airline industry. Clark recently had to pay $1.50 for a soft drink while flying in the Hawaiian Islands. The full-fare airlines just have to be careful not to get too fee happy. The only justification for flying a full-fare was that you got full service; now that's changing and it seems like you're just paying more money than going through a discount airline.