I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas and all I can say is: The air travel industry in this country sucks.

I go to check in at the Vegas airport and I’m informed by the US Air ticketing lady that they now charge extra for ALL checked bags. I thought she was kidding. She wasn’t.

I mean, how utterly ridiculous? Do they not expect passengers to travel for more than a day or so, thinking everyone can simply pack what they need in small carry-ons? No of course not, they know full well that most travelers are going to have to pay that fee. But there’s another problem that came up today because of it.

To avoid the fee, quite a few people are carrying-on bags they would normally check. Because of that the overhead compartments got entirely filled up today.

It’s not like there is less luggage, it’s just moved from below the plane — where there is plenty of room — to the main cabin, where there is anything but plenty of room. Ridiculous.

It’s not a huge fee ($15) but it’s still yet another added on expense by the airlines after you’ve already booked your ticket. Yes, airlines are getting shafted by the rising cost of fuel, but they’ve already raised fuel surcharges like crazy, this just looks greedy.

As does the fact that US Air also offers absolutely no free drink service on the flights! I think it’s $2 for a soda — exact change, of course. God is the state of air travel sad.

I flew first class out to Vegas (hence, apparently, how I avoided the bag charge the first time around) and there is no way I would call it “first class.” It was more like “marginally-better-than-coach class” — it’s slightly larger seats and the free drinks. Whoopie.

I just don’t understand how it can be 2008 and air travel is rapidly getting worse, not better. You’d think advances in technology would help the experience, instead it’s becoming something I dread. As much as I’d love to pay an insane amount of money to sit in a jam-packed flying cylinder from the 70s, I think I’d rather burn my cash — which I basically did gambling this weekend, but I digress…

Virgin America is about the only airline I think I’m going to take from now on within the U.S. The problem is that their stops are so limited. I’ve also heard good things about JetBlue, but again, limited.

Still, these guys seem to be the only ones who are paying any attention to improving the customer experience of flying. They’re also relatively new, give them time, I’m sure they’ll screw it up like the rest of them.

If I had the money I would definitely buy my own plane. (Okay, obviously most people would, but it would be VERY high on my list of what I would buy first.) I love traveling, but the shitty U.S. airlines have made me dread it.

Charging you to check any bag. What a joke. Pretty soon they’re going to start charging us to sit down on the plane. In fact, I would not be at all shocked if they one day rip out the seats and make coach standing-room only to cram more people together (I’m only half kidding).

Yes, the fuel thing is hitting them hard, and yes, the terrorist attacks definitely did not help matters any. But I remember flying before September 11, 2001 — it still sucked. It’s just getting worse.