More and more, it seems the airlines are more driven by fees than by airfare. Don’t get me wrong, they gouge the hell out of you on both, but more and more research and profit numbers (in total, U.S. airlines earned nearly $3.5 billion in baggage fees last year) indicate that the fees are where it’s at for boosting the bottom line.

However, one recent traveller took the fee matter into his own hands and decided the exorbitant fees were not worth the price of admission. So, he bailed out on his luggage and just left it at the airport. Why? Because Delta has a fee policy to stack fees onto fees… onto fees. According to a story on Fox News, Delta wanted to charge $1,400 in related baggage fees! How did they come to this math? According to Delta’s website, “If an extra piece of baggage exceeds the weight and size limits, it will be subject to three fees: one for the extra bag, one for exceeding the weight limit and one for going over the size restriction. Fees are charged for each additional bag, each way.” So in the end, the passenger opted to just leave his bags right in the terminal. Ha. But still, it is getting ugly out there with rising airfares, fees on top of fees for luggage, outrageous change fees, carry on restrictions (that airlines use to create more revenue in checked baggage fees), declining in cabin amenities, fees for seat choices even within your cabin, etc.

Airline travel has become so inhospitable and costly, it was the final straw for me personally and why I decided ultimately to not travel to Canada to race the 2013 Duathlon World Championships. In the end, I simply could not justify what I saw as an outrageous cost for all associated air travel with United. So I bailed out.