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[quote user="John WR"] PFC's--passenger facility charges--are not hugh.  However, the are hidden costs of air travel which can make a difference, especially on short flights.  The ones I found are:   U. S. Excise tax:  7.5 per cent.   Federal Flight Segment tax:  $3.00 per flight segment on domestic flights within the 48 states.  Other states are higher and international flights higher still.   Federal Security Segment tax:  $5.00 per flight segment.   Passenger Facilities charges:  $4.50. This adds up to at least $12.50 plus 7.5 per cent.  However, with one change of planes it is $20.50 plus 7.5 per cent.  And of course for a round trip flight you have to double everything.  So what may seem like a real bargain may not be such a bargain if you need to add in $41.00 plus 7.5 per cent.    Airline baggage fees vary considerably.  The lowest are $0 for 2 check bags (Southwest). The highest are $30 per carry on bag, $45 for first bag checked in at the gate and $55 for the second (Spirit Airways).  Total $130.  Here is a website with more information:   http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/3801089/airline-baggage-fees-chart-updated/ [/quote] All of the fees you referred to above, with the exception of the baggage fees, change fees, etc., are disclosed in the quoted price by law. They are paid by the user. Moreover, only the most inexperienced air travelers probably are unaware of the checked baggage fees, change fees, etc. The airline websites that I use regularly (Southwest, American, United, and Qantas) make it crystal clear that you may be billed for checked baggage, itinerary changes, etc. What does this have to do with Amtrak?  Or EAS since the fees referred to apply to all airlines?  The EAS subsidies are paid only to a relatively small number of regional or commuter air operators that serve EAS supported routes. According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, the EAS program is shrinking.  It is currently available to 121 communities, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, down from the 480 originally eligible communities. The average per passenger subsidy in 2011 ranged from $6.26 (Joplin, MO) to $1,904.79 (Lewistown, MT).  The average program subsidy was $233.78 whilst the median was $139.61.  The numbers for the fourth quartile, which are generated by some high end (EAS subsidy) airports in the west, skews the results significantly. If the top quartile results are eliminated from the mix, the median program subsidy drops to $110.96. The average federal subsidy per passenger mile for the long distance train rider in 2010 was 23.1 cents.  The average subsidy per passenger was $144.15. These numbers assume that Amtrak's long distance trains wear 10 per cent of the depreciation, interest, and miscellaneous charges. By the same token, the averages for Amtrak's long distance trains are skewed because of two or three really poor performers, i.e. Sunset Limited and Cardinal, but the skewing does not appear to be as great as that for EAS. The Essential Air Services Program should be terminated.  That is not to say that I believe the monies saved should be used to subsidize an alternative mode of transport.
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