Do Not Try This Online

There's a stone brilliant full-page piece of advertising by Southwest Airlines in today's Wall Street Journal print editions. It goes right to the heart of the various extra charges airlines like to pile on after they tell you what the fare is.

The headline says: "These fares look the same until you hold them up to the light."

Below that, on the left side of the page, it says: "Southwest Airlines: $69." And on the right side of the page it says "The other guys: $69."

But hold the paper up to the light and you see a drop-list of extra charges piled onto the $69 fare by the "other guys." It's printed in reverse on the back side of the page. Under the Southwest "$69" is empty space.

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