Grounded?

When I reviewed the documentary Oil Crash – a.k.a. A Crude Awakening – at the 2006 SXSW Film Festival, I noted that, among the movie’s many dire warnings, one especially troublesome forecast stood out: In the not-so-distant future, an authoritative academic opined, spikes in jet fuel costs could make airline travel too expensive for all but the wealthiest. This leads me to fear that, maybe, the future isn't distant at all.