American fliers may be reaching breaking point with surcharges and poor service

WHAT'S your breaking point? When do you say "That's it - I'm never flying again!" It's no academic question for America's airlines, who continue to provoke passengers with new fees, surcharges and rules. They want to know when passengers would rather stay home.

As another summer winds down, maybe they're a little closer to finding an answer. Airline consumer complaints rose more than 20 per cent for the first six months of the year, the Department of Transportation reported last week. From January to June 2015, the government received 9,542 consumer complaints, up from 7,935 received during the first six months of last year. DOT complaints typically represent a small fraction of total complaints.

At the same time, amid a government investigation into collusion, fare-watchers predict that air ticket prices will drop to record lows this fall because of lower fuel prices and, most important, decreased seasonal demand.