What is going on with the airline industry? I get it—yes, oil costs are up and the economy's down, but seriously, they can't afford peanuts anymore? That's right, yesterday US Airways announced that they'll no longer be handing out free snacks during flight. This comes on the heels of American Airlines' decision to now charge passengers $15 for each checked bag. What's next? Compressing us more tightly in the airplane cabin? Putting old people and babies down in the cargo hold to make more room? Raising the price tag on mini bottles of vodka?!

In related news, tough times have even befallen the creme de la creme of the airplane industry—including luxury start-ups. Silverjet, the British business-class only air carrier, announced that it's permanently grounded after its first take-off 16 months ago, according to DealBreaker. They failed to secure the $5 million in emergency funded they need to stay aloft. In total, the industry has had losses totaling $40 billion this year. One solution? The Wall Street Journal asks this week why airlines don't hedge more to keep fuel costs in check.