I’m already sick of the 2008 election, and the news will continue to report every dirty detail of the process until the year is over. Meanwhile, the rising gasoline prices are not only emptying Americans’ wallets on land, but also in the air.

All major airlines except for Southwest Airlines have raised their ticket prices and are now charging $25 for checking a second bag in an effort to balance the high fuel bills. The fare hikes help the airlines, but there is only so much costumers are willing to take. As if the unpleasant and unnecessary walk through security weren’t enough, travelers will soon become frustrated enough with the increasing cost of travel that they will cancel their vacations entirely. Editor Amy Ziff of online travel agency Travelocity mentioned that leisure travelers are opting for shorter trips to less popular locations. To avoid the new extra baggage fee, customers can also follow the recent trend of shipping their stuff to their desired location. There aren’t a lot of ways to avoid airlines when traveling long distance, but people have noticeably cut down on traveling. An April article in USA Today reported that United’s capacity on North American routes fell 6.5 percent from the year-ago period. Continental Airlines Inc trimmed its domestic capacity by 2.9 percent in that same month.

Numerous price increases will continue to anger travelers, but are necessary for the survival of airlines in the hostile industry. Regardless of the next president, gasoline costs will keep rising and forcing Americans to make financial sacrifices.

Laura Donovan is a creative writing sophomore.