On Monday morning, American Airlines announced it had raised fares by $20, across the board. Then, later that day, very patient and helpful Friend of Unfair Park broke the good news right here that, nope, "The fare increase that we initiated Friday night did not stick."
Well, see, though, it kinda did. Because today the Fort Worth-based carrier has reinstated the fare hike -- though, this time, it's categorized as an increase in the airline's round-trip fuel surcharge. And, again, it's 20 bucks. Notes the Associated Press, courtesy our Answer Man: "Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American, said the surcharge applied on domestic routes except those where the carrier competes with low-fare airlines." Which, truthfully, isn't unexpected news, given the day's other news concerning airlines and the prices they're paying at the pump. --Robert Wilonsky