More fare hikes for Delta, United, and American

The friendly skies are becoming increasingly less friendly for those on a budget.

On Thursday, the three largest U.S. carriers announced the second hike in ticket prices in less than a week. Charging the extra $20 per round-trip ticket is another attempt at combating the rising cost of fuel, the prices for which have risen about 78 percent since last year.

Delta, United, and American now charge up to $130 in fuel surcharges on some flights, meaning that you could actually pay more in taxes and fees than you’d pay for a ticket on a short-haul flight. These fare increases and added fees are becoming a never-ending trend among the airlines, so it’s wise to book now before it costs more to fly to Orlando than the moon. Yet, this also raises the question of whether or not the airlines should just get it over with in one fell swoop. Is it better to drag out the overall shock of a landslide of fuel surcharges? Or maybe it’s time the airlines treated us like big kids and ripped the band-aid clean off.