And who will protect us from our protectors?

Charles Schumer is a United States Senator from New York. He announced on Sunday that he had "personally contacted officials at American Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines and US Airways, and secured commitments from all five companies" that they wouldn't impose fees for carry-on luggage.  Imagine that! The courage! The senator was spurred into action by an off-brand outfit, Spirit airlines, which plans to charge $45 to use the overhead bins.

"In the last week we have gained tremendous momentum in our effort to keep carry-on bags free," said Schumer. "We have begun to put the brakes on runaway and out-of-control airline fees. I am pleased some of the major carriers have responded to our efforts and have agreed not to charge for something that has always been free."

Could anyone other than a Washington politician be so stupid--so disconnected from reality--as to believe that the overhead bins are free? Next thing you know, he'll try to send a suitcase home on a flight on which he holds no ticket. "Just put it in the overhead bin, son."

Listen, Mr. Schumer, it's this simple: you pay for the little extras when you buy your ticket. When the airline has to sell tickets so cheaply that it loses money as a regular thing, then it starts charging for the extras--like lunch and checked bags. Hey, Ryan Air has a surcharge if you pay with a credit card! This is called a business model.

The senator's mindset reminds me of the news story I read the other day, in which a community was in such bad shape that it had to cut back some "free" services, explaining that they were paid for by taxes for the most part, "though some of them are funded by government grants." We live in a world where town officials think that government money doesn't come from taxes, and where U.S. senators think they can tell airlines what they can do with their overhead bins. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford