Cricket is an Alaskan pilot and takes glee in any/everything that could/would harm Delta. He's afraid of the competition in Seattle and sees a joint venture with any/all the ME3 as salvation regardless of the fact that a foreign govt is bribing our elected officials and meddling in our countries internal politics. He knows they won't ever fly sea-Geg or even Juno so his job will be secure, but does know that if allowed that they would have a 380 to every international destination we fly, thus ridding Seattle of Delta.
Originally Posted by
globalexpress
1. No, I didn't say that. The Big US 3 aren't saying that Emirates can't dump a bunch of capacity in the US because we don't like their dictators. They're saying they can't dump a bunch of capacity in the US because they are government subsidized entities, and the subsidies would make it impossible for non-state supported airlines in the US to effectively compete against them.
2. If it doesn't matter what you call them, then it doesn't matter what I call them, either. They're thugs who are only interested in themselves and keeping the wealth and power of their country in their hands. And if you're a citizen in one of those ME countries who speaks out, maybe you disappear. Maybe your family disappears. But hey, these dictators want to diversify their economy at MY professional expense so they can have some extra streams of income to make those Bentley payments when the oil dries up. Let's help a brotha out, huh?
3. Again, the bankruptcy argument IMO is one of the few real arguments that the big ME 3 can make about unfair competition. IMO it's NOT a subsidy since the US government didn't hand Delta, for example, billions of dollars to stay solvent or to cover a bad fuel hedging policy. So again, I wouldn't have a beef with an insolvent ME airline going through a similar TRANSPARENT Chapter 11 process with an exit plan that allows the airline to go forward as an ongoing entity WITHOUT King so-and-so propping up his pet airline with interest free loans and multi-billion dollar airports with landing fees that can't even cover the cost of capital.
4. I can't believe you're comparing a company's uniform policy to brutal dictators not allowing their citizens basic human rights. When a ME thug doesn't allow his "subjects" the legal right to unionize for example, that's a competitive advantage. Just like you say US Airlines have an unfair advantage with US bankruptcy law, the big ME 3 have an unfair advantage when their self-appointed Kings oppress those who work in their country by not giving them a right to unionize. And since labor costs are an airline's largest cost or second largest cost in a business where margins are normally extremely narrow, that is a huge advantage to ME carriers.
5. I just did a keyword search on "CRAF" in Delta's and United's last annual report. The only reference to the CRAF program was a small paragraph in Delta's filing saying that they participate in the program and that it has only been activated twice since its inception. I doubt they're getting paid anything, nor was a payment of any sort disclosed in their annual report.
6. Open YOUR eyes. These Middle East dictators are VERY VERY bad people. If you don't understand the difference between a brutal ME dictator and an elected US official who makes decisions or comments that you disagree with, then seriously man, there really isn't anything to discuss.
Just curious....I'm a US airline pilot and US citizen- there's my bias. Just wondering why you are so vigorously defending these despots? Are a US citizen? Do you work for a ME carrier?