Again missing the point Gloopy... If AA flies to Doha and the pax connect to Karachi, Mumbai, Bahrain, Riyadh, Seychelles, Nairobi, why on earth do you care if they fly out Doha on QR under AA codeshare?! My whole point is that I'd like to see AA B-777 do the to/from sector under codeshare agreement from AA's hubs to Doha where they'll exercise that codeshare. That means more B-777 jobs at AA.
You got your panties in the twist over Milan to JFK. Understandably so... but I think you need to go back and re-read what I've been saying - using the Gulf hubs to connect with ME3 codeshare and having US carriers provide some lift to the Gulf hubs because as it stands right now, we have pitiful presence here.
You may see a challenge to you from the passenger perspective. Fedex and UPS thrive on their overseas business and hubs. Atlas has long-term EY contract, and I regularly taxi past B-748's in AUH painted in Etihad livery where it says "operated by Atlas." They were also doing EK heavy lift if I'm not mistaken. UPS and Fedex maintain a substantial presence overseas and maintain hubs abroad as well. If we enable protectionist policies, you'd really hose those two.
Actually, FEIE is 98k now and that's not counting housing deduction or if your spouse is working. We are all required to report our worldwide income and file tax returns just like you. But unlike you, we are also subject to additional reporting requirements such as FBAR if your foreign accounts at any point in the year exceed aggregate balance of $10,000 USD, you need to report that to Dept. of Treasury.
Or how's this one for you... as an expat American, I am ineligible for many investment opportunities here on account of my citizenship. Why? Read up on FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act). For example, I was denied being able to purchase Whole Life Insurance policy here because of FATCA. Retirement account? Hahah... dream on.
'I was terrified we'd lose all our money': banks tell US customers they won't work with Americans | Money | The Guardian
Imagine this happening to you in the US.
How's ME3 different from say Lufthansa? Or BA? Or Air France? All of these have more flights to the US than ME3. They already blanketed the US cities. Codeshare? What stopped US3 from doing this with ME3 early on? Yes, the ME3 are aggressive, and I want to see US3 become aggressive as well - not whiny and resorting to emotional protectionism and isolationism that just won't work.
Actually, it's not. Overseas, the pay structures are much flatter than they are in the US. In other words, new hires don't have to be on welfare for a year or two or three before they start making a decent paycheck. And again... most of us wouldn't be here if there were jobs back home when we came here. Now that there are jobs back home, most of us want to go home and forego these "tax benefits." But it's not so easy...
So in other words, we were left on our own... what would you do?
Uhh... read again about most American ME3 pilots looking to come back and why did most end up in these parts. It ain't to chase the "tax-free" lifestyle and getting chauffeured to work.
My side is with the US carriers as most of American expats'. We want to see US carriers flourish. Where we disagree is how to go about it. It would behoove you to listen and not be a know-it-all.
Agreed. I would say at least 70-90% would come back and start over on the bottom of the list. That's a pretty big number. Just yesterday, I was hanging out with a friend from EK (B-777 captain in his mid-30's). He's been trying to get in at US3 or SWA... no luck so far. Has a degree, thousands of hours of jet PIC.... no luck so far. Would have the biggest grin on his face being a narrow body FO at a major back home, and that's the sentiment shared by most Americans abroad.
And yes, you're right, it would be a major kick in the groin to ME3 if American pilots were hired en-masse back home... but we know that ain't gonna happen.
You also need to drop this notion that US pilots at ME3 are your enemy. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried...