Mike Luckovich, editorial cartoonist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, captured the latest changes that are being inflicted upon airplane travelers.

As an inquiring passenger goes through the security detector, the TSA agent informs him that “there’s an airline fee to get your shoes, belt and laptop back.”

That is a humorous look at the difficulties for those who have to sit in a reduced-size seat with little legroom, sandwiched between two oversized people who battle the seat belts mercilessly.

For all of the changes that resulted from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes in America, the airlines appear to be the biggest losers and winners. Passengers are mostly in the loser category.

Customer complaints pushed Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to consider a passenger bill of rights pre-Sept. 11. But in the post-Sept. 11 environment, passengers slid off the priority list even though airplane waits at gates and on runways persisted.

Next came the mega-mergers as large competitors came together and smaller, cheaper wannabes fell under the heavy requirement of having to make a profit.

Now rising fuel costs place the airlines, most of which came out of bankruptcy in the past few years, back in a financial pinch.

The ability of the airlines to further trim employees is diminished, having squeezed concessions from pilots, gate attendants, baggage handlers and others. Taxing the customer/passenger appears to be the next best alternative.

Price increases have been difficult to achieve, but fuel surcharges added to a passenger’s ticket stick.

Being inventive, one airline figured out a sure way to make an additional $15 per piece of luggage and even more for those who believe one bag is not enough.

American Airlines announced the $15 checked baggage fee. The American decision had to have been coordinated with the government baggage patrol. The frustration of watching a perfectly good toothpaste tube cavalierly thrown into the discard pile at the security counter forces passengers to avoid the plastic baggy patrol by checking luggage. The cost may be $15 but gone is the hassle of rejected toothpaste, deodorant and lotions at the security checkpoint.

There is no doubt that the exclusion for carry-on liquids was not revised with the advent of the American first-bag fee, but it is worth a second thought.

For example, to make it through the security checkpoint, toothpaste tubes cannot be rolled down. If the tube was larger than 3 ounces at the time of inception, shrinking of the item through use over time does not meet the standard. Out it goes.

A recent passenger pleaded with the TSA agent to let her keep her toothpaste, which she had purchased at the airport with the “promise” that it met TSA regulations.

The TSA agent told the passenger, “What do you expect? They want to make a sale. We set the rules.”

That’s free enterprise at work. What is the passenger to do? Give up a $2 tube of toothpaste or pay the $15 fee? Toothpaste retention won.

Belts, shoes and laptops cannot be too far behind. One wonders when small children will be considered extra baggage.

For those who are somewhat overweight, get ready. When the scales appear at the airport ticket counter, you will be paying by the pound for your seat on the plane. But that may be a healthy choice.

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