American - $15 Charge for FIRST Bag

[stanford's girl]

American Airlines will be charging for 1st bag! $15.00 x 4 x 2 (there and back)for our upcoming Liberty trip adds an extra $120! eeek!

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080521/ap_on_bi_ge/american_airlines_reductions

Wonder how much their stock is going to plummet with this stupid idea??? :rolleyes:

[sharonmae]

If any of you are old enough, and I'm sure many of you are, you know full well that airline fares have not risen with the rate of normal inflation over the last 50 years. Be honest Boomers, think about how everything has gone up. The price of houses has increased tenfold, (in many places even more) and cars almost that much. I was shocked recently when someone told me cigarettes cost over $5 a pack, I remember my parents buying them for a quarter, and bread was also a quarter. I can remember gas wars when you could buy it from anywhere between 19 and 25 cents. Remember nickel candy bars and a nickel pack of gum that now cost 60 cents or more, or Good Humor ice cream bars for a dime, and now cost well over a dollar. How about college tuition? Who today could possibly work a part time job and put themselves through a university? Many of us were able to because tuitions weren't astronomical. We use to go to movie theater and see a double feature, first run movies for 50 cents, pay a dime for a coke, and a quarter for a large popcorn, try doing that today for less than a dollar. My son attends the same private high school my husband graduated from, his senior year his parents paid $500.00, we paid $16,000.00 for my son's senior year, and next year's graduates have the pleasure of paying $17,000.

Forty years ago I took my first airplane trip, Chicago to Honolulu. I stayed in Waikiki, on the beach, at the Reef Hotel. I still have my receipt in a scrapbook, I paid $7.00 a night for the room, with an ocean view on the 8th floor. That same room today is about $250.00 a night, almost 4 times more than I paid for my whole 10 day stay. I also have my airline receipt from my Pan Am flight, my parents paid almost $600.00 for my round trip fare in 1968. That same fare today hasn't even doubled, let alone gone up by the amount other things have since then.

If bringing lots of luggage for your shoes, formals, tuxes, a different outfit ever day, designer clothes, hair pieces and makeup is important to you, than pay the extra baggage fees. If need be, give up a couple of drinks (be they alcoholic beverages or sodas) for a few days on your cruise, or skip going to the Chef's Table, Sabatinis, the Crown Grill or Sterlings, forget the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, or the breakfast. Keep away from the International Cafe where many tempting items cost extra. Skip the coffee or soda card, drink water or the other free offerings for a few days. Take your own pictures and don't buy the ship's photos. Stay out of the casino. At ports of call you could forgo a full day private tour and go for only a half day, or stay on the ship, eat your lunch for free and save a bundle. Skip a visit to the spa, or the beauty parlor. If paying the $30.00RT (for that 1st bag) or $50.00 more for that (is it really necessary?) second bag, is a burden, you can see there are plenty of ways to save $130.00 on cruise. It's up to you what your priorities are, what's more important to you? Pack light or pay the price?

We are so lucky that we can afford to take vacations and cruise, some people will never be able to afford the luxury.

Do I like paying for something I use to get for free? No, of course not, but after getting over the first shock, and some anger, I'm rational enough to realize why the airlines need to charge more money to stay in business. Is it fair? Whose life experiences are always fair? As someone else stated no company can lose money continuously and stay in business.

Does it bother me that most airlines are mismanaged and when the airlines have a good year or two they give these same incompetents big bonuses instead of saving for that rainy day that they all know will eventually come? Of course! As a retired airline employee, I experienced this first hand. I took a 30% pay cut, my medical insurance tripled and I lost my retirement, all while upper management were patting themselves on the back for saving money and gave themselves fat bonuses. Was that fair? I didn't think so, but my airline survived its bankruptcy and I still had a job, unlike many friends of mine who worked for Aloha Airlines. The main fact is, we have all been spoiled by cheap or inexpensive airfares and don't like to see them come to an end. Living in Hawaii I would like cheap fares to the mainland. I don't have the alternative of driving to most places, but I realize the more airlines that go out of business the higher the prices will eventually go, and when we are down to 3 or 4 (or less) airlines who have monopolies on different parts of country, wait and see how fares go up.

So now I'll step off my soap box, and let everyone give me a bad time. I truly feel however, if people would look at this rationally, without anger and emotional outbursts, they will see that the airline's costs have increased just like all our costs, and charging extra for things that give people a choice to opt out of, (meals, checked luggage, pillows, blankets, extra leg room) is their way of making money without increasing everyone's over all ticket price.

[sharonmae]

If any of you are old enough, and I'm sure many of you are, you know full well that airline fares have not risen with the rate of normal inflation over the last 50 years. Be honest Boomers, think about how everything has gone up. The price of houses has increased tenfold, (in many places even more) and cars almost that much. I was shocked recently when someone told me cigarettes cost over $5 a pack, I remember my parents buying them for a quarter, and bread was also a quarter. I can remember gas wars when you could buy it from anywhere between 19 and 25 cents. Remember nickel candy bars and a nickel pack of gum that now cost 60 cents or more, or Good Humor ice cream bars for a dime, and now cost well over a dollar. How about college tuition? Who today could possibly work a part time job and put themselves through a university? Many of us were able to because tuitions weren't astronomical. We use to go to movie theater and see a double feature, first run movies for 50 cents, pay a dime for a coke, and a quarter for a large popcorn, try doing that today for less than a dollar. My son attends the same private high school my husband graduated from, his senior year his parents paid $500.00, we paid $16,000.00 for my son's senior year, and next year's graduates have the pleasure of paying $17,000.

Forty years ago I took my first airplane trip, Chicago to Honolulu. I stayed in Waikiki, on the beach, at the Reef Hotel. I still have my receipt in a scrapbook, I paid $7.00 a night for the room, with an ocean view on the 8th floor. That same room today is about $250.00 a night, almost 4 times more than I paid for my whole 10 day stay. I also have my airline receipt from my Pan Am flight, my parents paid almost $600.00 for my round trip fare in 1968. That same fare today hasn't even doubled, let alone gone up by the amount other things have since then.

If bringing lots of luggage for your shoes, formals, tuxes, a different outfit ever day, designer clothes, hair pieces and makeup is important to you, than pay the extra baggage fees. If need be, give up a couple of drinks (be they alcoholic beverages or sodas) for a few days on your cruise, or skip going to the Chef's Table, Sabatinis, the Crown Grill or Sterlings, forget the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, or the breakfast. Keep away from the International Cafe where many tempting items cost extra. Skip the coffee or soda card, drink water or the other free offerings for a few days. Take your own pictures and don't buy the ship's photos. Stay out of the casino. At ports of call you could forgo a full day private tour and go for only a half day, or stay on the ship, eat your lunch for free and save a bundle. Skip a visit to the spa, or the beauty parlor. If paying the $30.00RT (for that 1st bag) or $50.00 more for that (is it really necessary?) second bag, is a burden, you can see there are plenty of ways to save $130.00 on cruise. It's up to you what your priorities are, what's more important to you? Pack light or pay the price?

We are so lucky that we can afford to take vacations and cruise, some people will never be able to afford the luxury.

Do I like paying for something I use to get for free? No, of course not, but after getting over the first shock, and some anger, I'm rational enough to realize why the airlines need to charge more money to stay in business. Is it fair? Whose life experiences are always fair? As someone else stated no company can lose money continuously and stay in business.

Does it bother me that most airlines are mismanaged and when the airlines have a good year or two they give these same incompetents big bonuses instead of saving for that rainy day that they all know will eventually come? Of course! As a retired airline employee, I experienced this first hand. I took a 30% pay cut, my medical insurance tripled and I lost my retirement, all while upper management were patting themselves on the back for saving money and gave themselves fat bonuses. Was that fair? I didn't think so, but my airline survived its bankruptcy and I still had a job, unlike many friends of mine who worked for Aloha Airlines. The main fact is, we have all been spoiled by cheap or inexpensive airfares and don't like to see them come to an end. Living in Hawaii I would like cheap fares to the mainland. I don't have the alternative of driving to most places, but I realize the more airlines that go out of business the higher the prices will eventually go, and when we are down to 3 or 4 (or less) airlines who have monopolies on different parts of country, wait and see how fares go up.

So now I'll step off my soap box, and let everyone give me a bad time. I truly feel however, if people would look at this rationally, without anger and emotional outbursts, they will see that the airline's costs have increased just like all our costs, and charging extra for things that give people a choice to opt out of, (meals, checked luggage, pillows, blankets, extra leg room) is their way of making money without increasing everyone's over all ticket price.

[sharonmae]

If any of you are old enough, and I'm sure many of you are, you know full well that airline fares have not risen with the rate of normal inflation over the last 50 years. Be honest Boomers, think about how everything has gone up. The price of houses has increased tenfold, (in many places even more) and cars almost that much. I was shocked recently when someone told me cigarettes cost over $5 a pack, I remember my parents buying them for a quarter, and bread was also a quarter. I can remember gas wars when you could buy it from anywhere between 19 and 25 cents. Remember nickel candy bars and a nickel pack of gum that now cost 60 cents or more, or Good Humor ice cream bars for a dime, and now cost well over a dollar. How about college tuition? Who today could possibly work a part time job and put themselves through a university? Many of us were able to because tuitions weren't astronomical. We use to go to movie theater and see a double feature, with first run movies for 50 cents, pay a dime for a coke, and a quarter for a large popcorn, try doing that today for less than a dollar. My son attends the same private high school my husband graduated from, his senior year his parents paid $500.00, we paid $16,000.00 for my son's senior year, and next year's graduates have the pleasure of paying $17,000.

Forty years ago I took my first airplane trip, Chicago to Honolulu. I stayed in Waikiki, on the beach, at the Reef Hotel. I still have my receipt in a scrapbook, I paid $7.00 a night for the room, with an ocean view on the 8th floor. That same room today is about $250.00 a night, almost 4 times more than I paid for my whole 10 day stay. I also have my airline receipt from my Pan Am flight, my parents paid almost $600.00 for my round trip fare in 1968. That same fare today hasn't even doubled, let alone gone up by the amount other things have since then.

If bringing lots of luggage for your shoes, formals, tuxes, a different outfit ever day, designer clothes, hair pieces and makeup is important to you, than pay the extra baggage fees. If need be, give up a couple of drinks (be they alcoholic beverages or sodas) for a few days on your cruise, or skip going to the Chef's Table, Sabatinis, the Crown Grill or Sterlings, forget the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, or the breakfast. Keep away from the International Cafe where many tempting items cost extra. Skip the coffee or soda card, drink water or the other free offerings for a few days. Take your own pictures and don't buy the ship's photos. Stay out of the casino. At ports of call you could forgo a full day private tour and go for only a half day, or stay on the ship, eat your lunch for free and save a bundle. Skip a visit to the spa, or the beauty parlor. If paying the $30.00RT (for that 1st bag) or $50.00 more for that (is it really necessary?) second bag, is a burden, you can see there are plenty of ways to save $130.00 on cruise. It's up to you what your priorities are, what's more important to you? Pack light or pay the price?

We are so lucky that we can afford to take vacations and cruise, some people will never be able to afford the luxury.

Do I like paying for something I use to get for free? No, of course not, but after getting over the first shock, and some anger, I'm rational enough to realize why the airlines need to charge more money to stay in business. Is it fair? Whose life experiences are always fair? As someone else stated no company can lose money continuously and stay in business.

Does it bother me that most airlines are mismanaged and when the airlines have a good year or two they give these same incompetents big bonuses instead of saving for that rainy day that they all know will eventually come? Of course! As a retired airline employee, I experienced this first hand. I took a 30% pay cut, my medical insurance tripled and I lost my retirement, all while upper management were patting themselves on the back for saving money and gave themselves fat bonuses. Was that fair? I didn't think so, but my airline survived its bankruptcy and I still had a job, unlike many friends of mine who worked for Aloha Airlines. The main fact is, we have all been spoiled by cheap or inexpensive airfares and don't like to see them come to an end. Living in Hawaii I would like cheap fares to the mainland. I don't have the alternative of driving to most places, but I realize the more airlines that go out of business the higher the prices will eventually go, and when we are down to 3 or 4 (or less) airlines who have monopolies on different parts of country, wait and see how fares go up.

So now I'll step off my soap box, and let everyone give me a bad time. I truly feel however, if people would look at this rationally, without anger and emotional outbursts, they will see that the airline's costs have increased just like all our costs, and charging extra for things that give people a choice to opt out of, (meals, checked luggage, pillows, blankets, extra leg room) is their way of making money without increasing everyone's over all ticket price.

[xpcdoojk]

Do you really think oil will last forever? It won't. Face it, we need to find a better source of energy - and not NUCLEAR either. That has problems enough on its own with not having a way to dispose of the waste.

 

Actually oil will last us hundreds of years, and yes the easy to access oil will be exhausted someday in the future, but the more difficult (ie expensive to remove) will be here for generations, and we will use it when the environmental doo-gooders get the heck out of the way. The other choice is destruction of our standard of living, and the deaths of billions on the planet from starvation. If you want to live off the land, go ahead, I intend to continue enjoying life. Why is it that we can't use Nuclear, but France gets most of their electricity from nuclear and they haven't had any horrible accidents. No dumb China Syndrome for France. Meanwhile the crazies in Iran are building nuclear plants for "energy" and you worry about the USA using the best, safest, cleanest, enviromentally friendly source of power. The brainwashing that our citizens endure from school and TV is a crime.

 

jc

[twoputt.plusone]

I think they are going about this the wrong way...If they simply raised costs to cover higher costs of doing business that would be one thing. I am not even sure as many people would notice if you were shopping for airfare and it was slightly more expensive...but the bag charge seems like nickle and diming and I think that is what gets people going

 

You and I are on the same page. :) The problem I have isn't with the additional cost. We all know the cost of doing business is on its way up and the consumer has to pay. It's the way they're going about it that riles me.

 

2P.P1

[tmitchell82]

So AA is charging for all check luggage, soon everyone else will be, and next you will get charged for your seat cushion:rolleyes: Many of us have to travel to get to the port via air and it is very difficult to take one carry one much less one check bag per person. Could this effect the cruise industry, maybe.

 

Now if I were a cruise line or TA, I might start thinking about paying my customers baggage fees on the airlines. Something akin to "Book with us, and we will give you an onboard credit for the cost checking your baggage." Some folks will say, why go on a cruise when it is really expensive to get there. Might be a good marketing ploy for the cruise lines or TA. Or I guess they could say, book you air through the cruise line and we pay the baggage fee. We all know that the air is more expensive through the cruise lines anyways. Would not cost the cruise lines much and would alleviate some folks concerns.

 

Just my thoughts. Now to fill up the car with $4 a gallon gas...........

[xpcdoojk]

I just sent one doozy of a complaint to AA. I'll let you know if they respond.

 

Congratulations! I am sure that they will get right on those thousands of complaint letters. :D

 

jc

[AnotherCruisingKid]

Husband is wondering if he wears his tuxedo on the way to a cruise would we get upgraded to 1st class? He says he can cover his black athletic shoes with black socks on formal night to avoid taking the size 13 dress shoes.

...........

 

Shoes that size are great places to pack socks and other things to take up less space.

[linda_22003]

Take a lot of change to the airport with you. If they're nickel-and-diming, pay the charge in nickels and dimes.

[xpcdoojk]

Yeah, you are right, bankruptcy of the major US carriers will be the answer to all your travel nightmares. I suppose you are not feeling the pinch of gas prices closing in on $4.00 per gallon. Last year this time oil was around $60 a barrel. Now it is over $130 per. Yet when airfare rises $5 each way there is caos in the streets. WOW. We are worried about keeping our jobs. Lets turn this caos toward the criminals that deserve it. THE OIL INDUSTRY. These are the scumbags that are pulling in record profits quarter after quarter.

 

I love posts like this! THE OIL INDUSTRY. Exactly how do they control supply and demand? O, wait, you learned your economics from the 3 presidential candidates. :D I understand you anger now. Of course it is completely misplaced, but don't let facts get in the way of your outrage!:D

 

jc

[Desertbelle]

Excellent letter Sharonmae! You echoed what I was saying, only you said it nicer. ;)

 

To all who didn't like my suggestion to go camping if cruising vacation money was too tight to allow some extra charges, I didn't mean it as an insult to people who are careful about their money, I meant it as a reality check for people who should be rethinking their financial choices.

 

Vacations and traveling are supposed to be relaxing and fun. If you are that close to the cuff financially, then maybe you shouldn't be spending money on cruising. Cruising is expensive....it's a luxury!! Stressing out about money while vacationing seems, at least to me, to be counter productive.

 

Do I like being charged extra for baggage? Heck, no!! Am I going to freak out about it? Absolutely not!! What would freak me out would be if it cost $4000 to fly to London....and this is exactly what is going to happen if the airlines (no matter how crappy they run their companies :() start to disappear. For now, I will accept my $1400 non-stop to London with relief that, at least for another year, traveling fits into my budget!

[linda_22003]

One time right before departure for a 6-hour flight, a guy got on the plane, the overhead bins were full so he took someone's stuff out, put it on the floor and put his own stuff in it's place. I couldn't believe it! The woman meekly retrieved her belongings and stuffed them under the seat in front of her so that she had no leg room for the flight.

 

Hah. There would have been a very different response if he had tried that with THIS Meek Woman. :cool:

[jillyfish]

Pretty soon we will all be boarding the plane in just our undies. :p:o:D

 

I had a feeling things were going to go south for airline tickets this year. Glad I booked all of mine back in February-ish for all my travels this year. Just hope they don't cut the flights I have chosen now!!! :o

[greatam]

I love posts like this! THE OIL INDUSTRY. Exactly how do they control supply and demand? O, wait, you learned your economics from the 3 presidential candidates. :D I understand you anger now. Of course it is completely misplaced, but don't let facts get in the way of your outrage!:D

 

jc

 

How true, how true!!!

 

I have to laugh-the oil industry takes the blame for all the chaos. Take a REAL look at what is causing the chaos. Four things-China/India, environmental rules, no refinery capacity and TURNING OUR FOOD INTO FUEL.

 

IF we had an extra BILLION barrels of oil per day coming into the USA, the price of gas/jet fuel/diesel would go down, right???

 

NO-it would probably go up. There is not enough REFINERY capacity to produce anymore gas. So the refinery would have to build a tank farm to store the oil and that costs money. The environmentalists won't allow any refineries to be built.

 

Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Airlines) has been trying to get even to step one to build a refinery. He just keeps getting stopped at every turn. The latest on the two pieces of land he has options on-one in far Western Arizona and one in far SouthWestern Texas-BOTH pieces of land are now being designated "sacred" ground by various Indian tribes. What part of the Western USA is NOT "sacred" ground? It was inhabited by nomadic tribes for hundreds of years. I am sure someone died most everyplace in those areas in the last 300 years. And the money to the lawyers for the lawsuit was furnished by the SIERRA CLUB. Do you really think the tribes cared about this UNTIL the environmentalists got involved?????

 

Take a look at all the cries about global warming coming from various sources. Take a look UNDER THE HEADLINES and see the DAMAGE the environmentalists are doing to our country. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[mohavemommy]

Pretty soon we will all be boarding the plane in just our undies. :p:o:D

 

... or just the opposite. You could put on multi layers until you reach the maximum size to sit in the seat. They certainly can't charge you for wearing too much clothing!

[xpcdoojk]

greatam, you are another of my heroes!

 

thank you.

 

jc:)

[jillyfish]

... or just the opposite. You could put on multi layers until you reach the maximum size to sit in the seat. They certainly can't charge you for wearing too much clothing!

Unless they start weighing US and charging per pound!! :D

[brmoqueen]

Just hang on..........some are charging extra $$ for exit rows (more leg room) and will start charging a fee for aisle seats and then window seats......

 

The airlines are going to just keep charging for anything they can......unfortunately, for all of us who don't live near a port, if we want to cruise we will have to fly....

[AnotherCruisingKid]

All of the talk about how the airlines need to make money...please check out http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/011608dnbusaabonus.297e532.html

 

specifically, the portion

The top five

 

Based on the 135 percent bonus, Mr. Arpey would be in line to receive 189,000 shares in April, worth $2.5 million at Tuesday's close. Mr. Horton and Mr. Garton would get 104,760 shares, valued at just under $1.4 million, and Mr. Reding and Mr. Kennedy would get 76,950 shares, valued at just over $1 million.

 

 

How many of you out there received this type of bonus? I guess if I received 2.5 million, $30 per trip per person would not be that much!!!

 

Thats nothing. The oil execs who are crying to Congress yesterday that they reinvest all their profits answered the follow up of how much did you make last year with 12 million.

[greatam]

greatam, you are another of my heroes!

 

thank you.

 

jc:)

 

Thank you for the compliment.

 

I just wish I could make more understand. As the purchaser of about 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel A WEEK, these high oil prices are KILLING my business. I can't raise prices fast enough to cover the increased costs, much as the airlines are grabbing every dollar they can.

 

I spend about a month a year in China/Vietnam/Cambodia and a couple months a year in Chile/Peru for business. I SEE the damage the very strict environmental rules in the USA have done to our country first hand. Did you know that China's new Ford factory in Chongqing produces cars that have ONLY 1970's technology for emissions? NO high tech engines or catalytic converters that add a lot to the cost of cars in the USA. Or that the Urubamba River in Peru (on the way to Machu Pichu) is one of the DIRTIEST rivers in the world.

 

But the US environmentalists want to tear down Glenn Canyon Dam (one of the larger power producers in the USA-clean, hydro energy) so some stupid fish and the Grand Canyon can revert to "original" whatever. You hear NO b**** about the pollution in China-the big brown cloud that blows East and threatens the glaciers. And you sure don't see the Sierra Club or any of the other environmentalists cleaning up the Urubamba River OR even issuing warnings on Lonely Planet or similar places about TAKING THE TRASH out that you bring in. The river is FILLED with 6 pack holders, cans, ponchos, throw away ground tarps, etc. Guess who put most of the stuff there-20 somethings, hiking the Inka Trail. And then they go back to the USA, to their environmental club meetings, and BRAG about their trip.

 

But the food in our gas tanks is the worst offense forced on the American people by the environmentalists. I have always said and have repeated frequently to my much younger employees, ESPECIALLY right after 911-"don't worry guys-armies run on two things-food and fuel. And we have all the food we need to feed our population AND keep our military fully fed. WE can hold out a long time-other countries may have oil, but you can't eat the oil. WE can starve them out if nothing else." I may have to eat my words.

[silentbob007]

Thats nothing. The oil execs who are crying to Congress yesterday that they reinvest all their profits answered the follow up of how much did you make last year with 12 million.

 

Darn them for being successful, a leader, and pulling in a huge wage! If they made the same as me, then everything would be alright! :rolleyes:

 

I'm not saying some of the wages and bonuses shouldn't be looked at ... but I'm not going to trash guys or gals just because of their salaries ... companies know that they have to pay a lot to get the people they want and keep them. Just think of the great teachers we could have if pay started at 1 million per year ... but ... it doesn't work like that, right?

[AnotherCruisingKid]

Oh i agree. But to say that the execs at AA are grossly overbonuesed which i know to be a hotbuttom issue down that way is silly when you compare to the oil companies who are "causing" it.

 

I for one am as stated elsewhere for these fees. The don't effect me in almost every case, keep my fares lower as many have stated AA was cheapest for their search and also are a "tax" on those who cause the most issue.

 

I know that applies the majority of cruisers and this is a cruise board, but as a passenger on a plane, this is better to me than an increase in flight costs to everyone.

 

Although I would fly AA even if they were more because of the benefits I get by staying with the same carrier instead of flying whomever is cheapest that day.

[xpcdoojk]

Sad ain't it! :( I need to thank you for travel advice I have gotten from you over the years. :D You were especially helpful when we went to South America in late 2005 for a trip to said Inka trail and MP. Thank you thank you, and thank you.:)

 

My next door neighbor has a business office in China and after her trips to China she has described what the Chinese are doing to their countryside which if it was done here, would land the businessperson doing it in jail.:(

 

jc

[ctr5000]

greatam:

 

I don't get it. You say the environmentalists do damage here but Peru has a dirty river and China has a brown cloud? You want to take emission devices out of cars so we can have brown air too? The people of China are suffering very high rates of asthma not to mention lung cancer and this is a high cost to pay for a cheaper car.

 

Economics 101, the cost of ANYTHING is SUPPLY and DEMAND. How much it costs to make said "thing" or provide said service just determines how much profit you make. Yes, the airlines are going to raise prices but only so they will eventually make a profit. (They also have management & competition issues.) If the cost of fuel were to go down, but they still had all the customers they wanted, then they would leave the price alone and the difference would be their profit. The cost of fuel is going up because the oil cartel OPEC controls how much oil is pumped, not how much it costs to pump the oil. Yes the US is at the limit of their refinery capacity, but no it's not the environmentalists who are keeping refineries from being built. The oil industry has tons of excess cash to spend building refineries but why should they? If they keep the capacity down, they can charge higher prices and make more money since the cost of refining isn't going up nearly as fast as the gas prices. Besides, since OPEC is keeping the supply down, where are they going to get the oil for the new refineries? These companies are making more then the gross national products of small industrial countries!

 

There is no one solution to our energy problems. We need to invest in more clean and renewable energy sources as well as energy effiecient & clean vehicles (I love my Prius). We could institute a windfall profits tax on the oil industry to pay for the investments. As to bio fuels they are fine if you use a base like grasses as opposed to a food souce such as corn. Nuclear is OK too provided that you figure out what to do with the radioactive waste and include the total cost of that waste disposal in the cost of the fuel produced. You would rapidly find it is not really economical.