During the somewhat recent recession in America, airlines and related industries experienced some of the worst effects from the wilting economy and now customers are paying for these misfortunes with their wallets. Large airline corporations, such as American Airlines and Delta, experienced shrinking profits, layoffs and fewer customers.

Now airlines are making money again and seem to be profitable, and customers apparently are the victims again in this case. Profit margins for major carriers are up 9 percent, which is a result of customers paying more in fees.

Rather than cutting their own costs and cleaning up their books, it seems that the large airline corporations took the easy way out 8212; by preying on consumers.

The airline companies know that there are a large number of people in the country who rely on airline travel to conduct business, including salesmen, CEOs and management. The fact that these people have to travel as part of their business makes them easy targets to help give the airlines cash whenever they see fit.

These people have to travel and bear any cost that the airlines throw at them, no matter how terrible airline travel has become. Airplanes now have crowded cabins that feel like livestock cars, the stewards are downright terrible and most of all, screaming babies are par for the course on every flight.

Airline customers are being fronted with increased costs and bad customer service. This is what this situation really boils down to: the airlines took the easy way out, and now the customers are suffering. According to The Consumer Travel Alliance, major U.S. airlines are actually omitting posting “a vast majority” of hidden fees on their websites, despite regular statements to the contrary.

Unless the airlines get their collective act together, stop surprising people with hidden fees and stop preying on needy customers for easy profit, the airline industry will yet again take a nosedive. People are tired of the mistreatments and rising costs.

Danny Peters is a senior writing major from Fort Worth.