Travel experts. Do you think air travel prices will be going up any time soon. I need to make flight arrangements for Nov, but haven't yet. I hate to make any definite plans until things have settled down.

Can't imagine the airlines raising prices with the latest events. Many cancellations at work. Just make sure you have your 21-day advance purchase for best price!

My personal opinion is that in the very short term, prices will go down. But they will rapidly rise after that. Someone is going to have to pay for the increased security measures. And it definitely won't be the airlines. It will be one of two things: either the airports will pass on increased costs to the airlines, who will raise prices to pay for it; or there will be additional taxes added to your ticket. You already pay a $3.00 tax for every airport you go through. Part of this is to pay for security. I think that will go up, perhaps as high as $5. But the airlines may still use increased security as an excuse to raise prices further. They made something like $6 billion profit last year. But we all know they say they're losing money--any excuse to increase profits will be be very welcome to them.

Anyone who thinks the airline biz has been profitable this year needs to take a look at some stock prices and quarterly reports. Most were deeply into red ink with increased labor and fuel costs and a big drop in business class travel this year long before Tuesday's events unfolded.

Jim, you're right. The huge profit they made last year was concentrated in a relatively few companies. And that profit is not necessarily there this year, in some part due to a decrease in business travel. My last statement was totally uncalled for and I withdraw it. My only "excuse" (and it really is no excuse), is that I guess I was using this as a vent for the terrible anger I'm still feeling. My apologies to the airline industry.

Hey Linda, who among us has not wished for a delete/edit function on here from time to time? Our leaders in Washington are currently working on a package of loan guarantees and some grants to help put the airline industry back in a position to continue serving, recognizing that airlines are an important part of our national infrastructure and our way of life. (Lousy food and inadequate legroom seem like petty issues in the face of the challenges of the moment, don't they?) This much is clear: the airline industry was in a precarious state even before the body blow taken this week. Helping them return to a more firm footing right now will preserve choice, improve security and ultimately keep air travel accessible to more people into the future. Spreading these costs as broadly as possible makes sense to me, since even infrequent travelers benefit from the fixed investments that give them access to the system. And more security benefits even non-flyers. (Nobody in those buildings Tuesday was flying at the time...)