Price-fixing on fuel surcharges is something that really burns Clark up. What a joke; the cost of a barrel of oil is lower today than it was a year ago. Yet if you buy an international ticket today, you'll almost certainly get ripped off by these bogus surcharges.

A new study from USA Today and FareCompare.com shows that surcharges are not in any way related to the distance you're flying. A shorter international flight can have a higher surcharge than a longer one. It's not legal to fix a price in the United States, but that's exactly what's going on here.

In another example, Christa found a $65 roundtrip international fare -- but when she added in the junk fees it was over $400! Clark says if they want to charge more, fine, do it. But don't lie to customers with phony fuel surcharges.

New Jersey senator Robert Menendez is the only member of Congress making any noise about this perversion of capitalism in the airline industry. Senator Menendez wrote the CEOs of 11 airlines to complain about fuel surcharges. Meanwhile, Clark has heard anecdotally that people are on a buyer's strike over these pricy international tickets.

Yet some things about travel are getting better. Hotels are a deal as people aren't flying and car rental rates are low. Clark is getting his next rental for $16/day -- and he thinks even that is too much! In another example, tourist attractions are cutting prices because they have no customers. So if you can drive somewhere for vacation, then you're getting a real steal of a deal as the cost of gasoline drops.

Finally, the TSA will have a new procedure coming that will allow you to pack big bottles again -- no more of the 3-ounce containers. This is not in place yet, but it's coming at a soon-to-be-determined date.

Were you one of those cruise customers who got hit with a fuel surcharge fee after you booked on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity? Florida's attorney general has reached a deal to refund this rip-off surcharge to customers. The cruise industry is controlled by a small number of players who act in utter arrogance, so Clark is pleased to see this latest development. He completely supports the right of any business to jack their rates to whatever they want before a sale. But to tack on bogus fees after the fact is disgusting. While the attorney general deserves kudos, where was the FTC on this issue?

You’ve probably heard of bereavement fares, right? These are the supposedly “discounted” fares people pay when a loved one dies or is about to die and the relative must find a flight to the funeral or deathbed. We all know that bereavement fares are a huge ripoff, though. Clark thinks we need a viable solution for this shameful situation. But a recent ‘solution” proposed by the Feds may just create more of a problem than already exists in Clark’s opinion. A bill percolating in the U.S. Senate would force the nation’s airlines to sell the lowest priced tickets to people who can prove they are going to a funeral. It sounds like a good idea. But when the government interferes in the free market, things often turn out worse. The idea came about because someone in the Senate was charged a very hefty fee to attend a funeral at the last minute. The senator took action and now has gotten Congress to do away with this law. But Clark doesn’t think we need a heavy hand from Washington to take care of this problem. People simply need to look around for other fares in different cities and give their business to one of the discounters. Discounters now charge about one-fourth of what full fare airlines charge on a bereavement fare. So, take just a couple of minutes to search discounters even when you are grieving. Check out travel from other airports and other days. It’s the little changes that make a difference in airfare. Capitalism will take care of this problem.