Southwest hikes fares yet again

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

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Apparently I wasn’t the only one fattening up over the Thanksgiving break. Low-cost leader Southwest fattened its bottom line as well by hiking prices as much as $10 on one-way flights. The move is meant to “blunt higher fuel costs” according to a Bloomberg News report picked up by the Houston Chronicle.

Not surprisingly, the news broke over the holiday weekend when most of us had other things on our minds. Also not a surprise: United, Continental, Northwest, and US Airways found time take a break from the turkey and gravy to match the price increase.

The fare hike amounts to “$3 on one-way trips of 750 to 1,000 miles and $10 on longer flights,” according to the Bloomberg report. Southwest’s most expensive one-way tickets now go for $329. This is Southwest’s fifth price increase of 2006.

If this is the airline’s idea of a Thanksgiving treat, I think we’ll all be happy to pass on any Christmas surprises this year.

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