the travel industry is screwed. for now, anyhow - or until someone solves this problem of soaring prices for oil and gas. i hate the fuel surchage, and the baggage fees, and the "pick your seat" fee, the "service" fees and all that crap. i don't mind the "don't eat our food unless you pay" fee - who wants to eat that garbage, anyhow?

in any case, another airline is biting the dust - an ExpressJet is not the first in the line of airlines to close down this year - remember oasis airlines? there go cheap tickets to hong kong.  but at least ExpressJet is being nice enough not to put up a "whops, we went bankrupt, sorry, thanks, goodbye" sign - they're giving passengers notice.  read more here: http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/07/10/another-bites-the-dust-gradually/ 

reminds me of JetsGo - do you remember JetsGo? i had a friend a few years back who booked his flight back home to vancouver on JetsGo and the next day, found out about their bankruptcy and abandonment of all passengers waiting to board. i remember him saying something like, "i like to think that i was the one that booked that last flight to vancouver for $10 that made them go bankrupt." 

haha :)

moral of the story? be careful who you book with in the next year, you never know!