Synagogues Charging for Legroom & Desirable Seats

Stand-up comic and blogger Heshy Fried wrote on his Frum Satire blog yesterday that shuls (synagogues) "in the New York metropolitan area are going to be charging premium prices for premium seats, like those with more legroom" in order to raise more money in these challenging financial times.

This got me thinking that synagogues aren't really all that different than the airlines in this regard.

• Synagogues charge membership dues; Airlines have frequent flyer membership
• Synagogues pass out candies during the service (throw candy at bar mitzvah boy after successful layning); Airlines pass out food during the flight (don't throw peanuts at pilot after successful landing!)
• Synagogues have Kiddush Clubs; Airlines offer Scotch too
• People doze off mid-service; People doze off mid-flight
• Synagogues charge more for good seats (by exit); Airlines charge more for good seats (by entrance)
• People pray in synagogues; People pray on airplanes (use tefillin at your own risk)

I'm sure it won't be long before synagogues follow the airlines and start charging for bags too ("Sir, that is an extra-large tallis bag and you'll have pay $15 if you want to bring that into the shul").

These comparisons really shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, both industries are hurting financially right now and are looking to reinvent themselves in a competitive market. Is it really any wonder that the airline named Spirit is currently on strike?