No, folks: the airlines' objective is not to SAVE money - it's to MAKE money. Anyone who doesn't understand this pre-econ-101 principle needs to go back to class.
The cold fact of the matter is that whatever advantage airlines enjoyed in a regulated (pre-80s) environment, only the top few % of the population flew with any frequency. Deregulation has employed MANY more pilots & other staff, the result of a LOT more pax who can afford the competitive prices.
Safety is a non-issue in the big picture. Does anyone remember the high rates flight crew had to pay for life insurance 40 years ago? Higher air fares will simply force more pax out of the relatively safe aluminium tube into private cars. How safe is that?