As the manager of her husband’s rock band, Jill Meniketti has booked many flights over the past 12 years.

She used to buy tickets for the San Francisco-based band, Y&T, two months in advance; now she makes it three to ensure seats for the eight-member entourage. Even so, when she recently tried to book a trip to Europe in late September, she said, “I couldn’t believe how few seats there were. It was crazy.”

As a United Airlines MileagePlus member with premier silver status, she used to get free upgrades to economy plus and two free checked bags for each person. Now she regularly spends about $800 on the band’s baggage fees (there are instruments as well as suitcases). She paid an additional $696 for two upgrades to economy plus.

“Booking air travel is my own personal hell,” she said.

News this week that the Justice Department is investigating the major domestic airlines for possible collusion has Ms. Meniketti and plenty of other passengers cheering the government on. After a wave of airline mergers, the once-struggling industry is enjoying an unusual period of profitability after years of struggles. And its success comes at a time when passengers’ ire is rising. Add-on fees for everything from bags of pita chips to exit row seats, ever-shifting luggage rules and increasingly crowded and cramped planes have left many travelers feeling powerless and infuriated.