What has happened to the understanding that the major airlines claim they have for the average citizen? To reasonable fares and lowering fees?

Just over two weeks ago, JetBlue officially started charging an extra fee for checked bags on their flights. On top of that, the company will also cut down on the incredibly spacious (for an airline) legroom they once offered.

Erich Fromm, a German social psychologist, once said, “Greed is a bottomless pit, which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” In a more condensed form, what Fromm was saying was those who are affected by greed will never be content. This newest change in policy and fee increase is simply outrageous, there is no other way to put it; it is corporate greed at its finest.

According to the figures JetBlue published in its financial statement for the first three months of 2015, they made a gross profit of $961 million. So if you multiply the figure by four quarters, the company will make a profit of approximately $4 billion this year. Yet, now they’re decreasing legroom (seemingly to add more seats), and they’re charging extra to check a bag. It appears greed affects the best of people.

For many, they traveled JetBlue because they didn’t have to deal with the extra fees. Some for the extra legroom, however, these no longer exist. It will remain to be seen if JetBlue loses customers to the other major airlines, since it no longer can separate itself.

Unless of course you like the complimentary Kind Snacks so much that you can’t imagine flying with anyone else. It appears this is how JetBlue plans to reconcile its once loyal customers.

The U.S. Department of Statistics show Delta, United, American and US Airways combined to make nearly $2.5 billion in baggage fees during the 2014 calendar year. Now JetBlue will be joining the party to collect on approximately $500 million more in fees.

With JetBlue charging checked bag fees, Southwest has become the lone airline to not charge fees. While this may sound like great news, it is worth pointing out that the airline does not operate out of John F. Kennedy, O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airports. The previously mentioned make up three of the top five most visited airports in the U.S.

As stated above, this trend of charging for checked bags is not just JetBlue. It first started in 2008, when American Airlines decided to begin charging $25 for the first bag. Nowadays, pretty much every airline has a fee and it is getting tougher and tougher to travel for vacations without incurring unfair costs. Let’s not forget while gas prices were falling during the second half of 2014 and early 2015, airfare costs remained the same.

Unfortunately, if you need to travel a long distance it may be hard to avoid flying. Other options include taking the overcrowded and uncomfortable bus, driving your own car; or taking the train, which can sometimes be slow. However, in an age of hybrids and more fuel-efficient cars, we’ll start seeing families vacationing to closer locations.

The use of trains will also likely grow. Next, I’ll examine their impact and how high-speed-rail can actually be a good thing for all of America; after all it has worked for Europe, Japan, and the Northeast U.S.

As a closing thought, Fromm states the greedy will never be satisfied. After seeing JetBlue institute a baggage fee and reduce legroom, what will be the next step among these corporations fueled by making senseless amounts of money?