Maybe you got the same plea I did recently from an airline I use fairly often. The airline wants me to support a movement to “Stop Oil Speculation Now”, recalling last year’s huge rise in oil prices that many blamed on “evil speculators.”
Now, I know the airlines in general are in trouble and I am no fan of someone trying to manipulate markets illegally. I’m not crazy about paying high prices at the gas pump either. But I do believe in free markets, supply-demand and keeping the government out of pricing as much as possible unless there is real evidence of misdoings.
I don’t think the airline has to worry too much about a repeat of last year’s wild prices, but if it thinks energy prices are going to go up, why doesn’t it hedge by locking in prices on its fuel needs now like Southwest Airlines did last year? Wouldn’t that be better than some artificial controls?