As those who have read this blog and my print column in the past know, nothing raises the hackles of my readers like the idea of allowing cell-phone calls on U.S. airlines during the hours the plane is in the air. You, and lots of others, including flight attendants, are very much opposed to lifting the ban on talking (not necessarily texting or Web-browsing) during a flight.

But airlines in some other parts of the world seem to have found a way to do it that isn't driving passengers mad. Read more about what's happening overseas here, and then tell me -- as you usually do on this topic -- what you think. 

Two news stories today provide some illumination on the airlines' financial woes and one of the ways the industry is dealing with it. The International Air Transport Association reports that customer demand is stabilizing but airlines remain largely without profits. Read more here.

 The second article reminds us that airline fees to check bags, in particular second bags on international flights, have gone up. It's now $50 for that second bag going on flights to many countries. A link to that story is here.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest travel day of the year and the major airlines this week have given you another reason to plan travel on a different day. The carriers are matching a United move to add a $10 "miscellaneous surcharge" -- where do they come up with the phony names for a fare increase? -- for travel on Nov. 29, and Jan. 2 and 3. The January days tend to be the heaviest for Christmas-New Year's travel.

I was alerted to this new fee by Rick Seaney, CEO of the FareCompare Web site, who says that the last-minute holiday fare sales of last year are unlikely to be repeated this year. Check it out at http://www.farecompare.com/

Read this news in conjunction with the post below about how much airlines now collect in change and cancellation fees.