Unfortunately low cost carriers have created a (false) impression in the minds of the general public that the fare for a 2 hour trip in a jet should be 50 bucks. Never mind that the cab fare to the airport is more than that.........
The public think back to 10 years ago, when that same fare was perhaps $300, and conclude that they were being ripped off back then. Not so. A steak dinner cannot be compared with a take-away hamburger.
My main dislike of LCC's is that far too often in their search for "efficiencies" they turn to their staff for a handout. Of course some LLC's don't even ask; they just tell their staff that training, manuals, uniforms, car parking etc are now the employee's responsibility rather than the employer.
Then they reduce their $50 fares to $40 fares.
Of course the other "efficiencies" include schedules that guarantee fatigue, turnaround times that are so unrealistic that no opportunity exists for the flight crew to cross-check each others work, and maintenance planning that assumes nothing ever breaks or wears out.
This further entrenches the belief in the minds of the travelling public that the long and generally safe history of aviation has just been a giant con.
Sooner or later something has to give..............