"This goes to show how ecotopian "alternatives" to the current petroleum energy system require massive energy subsidies from current oil supplies."
Mark, the diesel fuel is for CONSTRUCTION of a wind farm. You don't help your case by exaggerating it. The news item says nothing about the subsequent efficiency of the turbines.
"BTW, American Airlines reportedly now loses $3.3 million a day"
How can they recoup this loss? Well, let's do the math. A quick Google search shows that AA runs about 2300 flights per day:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-american11apr11,0,4344898.story
I believe they average about 150 passengers per flight. That would mean they transport about 350,000 passengers per day. To make up the daily loss that you quote, AA has to increase its fares by less than $10 per passenger. This does not seem a big deal to me. TSA operations alone have already added $10 per flight.
"no airplane was ever designed to make a profit with jet fuel at these prices, and no carrier has figured out a way to charge enough to make up the difference."
Where did that quote come from? My multiplication sum seems to indicate that any carrier can make up the difference. Of course there will be an unpleasant period of losses while each carrier delays a fare increase, for fear of losing business to the others. Ultimately however market forces will prevail, and I would not be at all surprised if air fares increase by an average of $50 per person rather than $10, during the next year. Passenger volume may diminish somewhat, but the sky will not fall. Life will continue. And a higher sustained price for oil will encourage more exploration and exploitation of new fields.
"Who predicted that this sort of thing would happen because of the crisis in oil supplies?"
Many people predicted it, during the 1970s as I recall.
I don't think you should take popular news items so seriously. Journalists love to make things sound as ominous as possible. Like you, Mark!