fliers where they essentially said that more regulation was needed in the oil markets to stop them from gouging the airlines. They asked me (and all other frequent flyer members) to lobby our member of congress to help them, ostensibly so they could offer us better prices. I knew it was laughable then, and still think it is today. Especially since the idiots running the legacy carriers didn't see fit to buy fuel hedges like Southwest and others did.

Maybe a similar letter is now needed to congress to stop airlines from gouging us...

Seriously, as private companies the airlines can do what they want; and that includes participating in the current race to the bottom, IMO. Let the market decide what prices should be. That said, let's really let the market decide by repealing the Fly America Act and any other pro-airline regulation immediately.