Sky-high airfares

Back in 2008, the world's airlines were in survival mode. Fuel prices had soared and consumers were cutting back. With analysts openly fretting about whether Air Canada might once again crash-land in bankruptcy court, mass layoffs of front-line staff and an array of new fees and penalties were but the most visible changes impacting travellers.

In the eyes of industry observers like Karl Moore, a professor in the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University who studies airlines, recent fare increases have to be taken in context. Not only are fares relatively cheap by historical standards, compared to airlines in the U.S., WestJet and Air Canada offer far better service for the price. And an airline industry that stays in the black is good for the economy overall. "I think [Canadians] have to realize that to have an airline industry in this country, they have to make some money. In the good times they need to make money, because when times are tough, we don't want them to go bankrupt."

Read full article: Maclean's, December 5, 2010