The airlines are going to start selling meals, and the AP sounds surprised.

In a move that might be imitated by cash-strapped airlines, the nation's eighth-largest carrier will test a "Buy on Board" program starting Monday that allows passengers to buy meals for $3 to $10.

Personally, I welcome the change. I had a conversation over a year ago with a fellow business traveler friend of mine, Russ, and we both agreed that charging $5 or $10 for a meal on a flight is acceptable.

I'd much rather have the option of purchasing a meal on board than being stuck with no meal at all. Worse still is having to pick up a meal at McDonalds and cart it on board myself. That's all I need is some TSA lackey fingering through my french fries looking for an illegal box cutter.

Personally, I think just about everything should be optional. For instance, if you want to fly without a seat cushion that will also double as a life preserver to save a few bucks, that should be your choice. Just don't come crying to me when your plane takes a nose dive into the Atlantic. Still, I'd much rather have a normal, comfortable cushion and take my chances on dying than have to sit on a piece of foam strapped to a wooden board.