"Dubai does not overtax airlines like European countries do. Dubai is also a generally less expensive airport to operate at than large European hubs. Add in the fact that labor costs are much lower in Dubai than Europe and it can be a lot less expensive for Emirates to carry someone from Glasgow to Bangkok than it would be for a European airline. With European airline costs, that slim 2.9 percent margin can go negative quickly."

From fly Africa

Meanwhile back here in the states:

U.S. Excise Tax (aka U.S. Domestic Transportation Tax; U.S. Ticket Tax)
Percentage of fare; applies to flights within the continental United States or Canada/Mexico 225-mile buffer zones
U.S. Domestic & International
US
7.5%
Travel Facilities Tax
(aka Alaska/Hawaii Ticket Tax)
Applies to certain flight segments to or from Alaska or Hawaii
U.S. Domestic & International
US
$8.40
U.S. Federal Segment Fee
Per-segment inflation-adjusted fee applicable to flights within the continental United States
U.S. Domestic & International
ZP
$3.80
Passenger Facility Charge (PFC)
A maximum of 4 charges per itinerary applies to PFC-approved airports for facilities improvement
U.S. Domestic & International
XF
up to $4.50
September 11th Security Fee (aka U.S. Passenger Civil Aviation Security Fee)
U.S. government-assessed fee of $2.50 per U.S. enplanement per ticketed journey for security costs not to exceed $5.00 one-way or $10.00 round-trip (fees accrue incrementally with multi-segment travel itineraries)
U.S. Domestic & International
AY
$2.50 per U.S. enplanement
U.S. International Transportation (Arrival/Departure) Tax
Applies to all flights arriving in or departing from the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands
International
US
$16.70
U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Fee
Applies to all flights originating abroad and landing in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands
International
XA
$5.00
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Fee
Applies to international arrivals to the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands

Still you didn't address what that has to do with the level of service they provide, you are concentrating in airlines in Dubai and their structured cost, I'm talking about the level of service, Lufthansa has a higher structured cost than Emirates (as you pointed out in a quote from a magazine you once read) but they still have a high level of service, ANA is also taxed and regulated in Japan but they are one of the 10 best airlines year after year, Singapore airlines has some of the highest fuel costs and higher employee costs but still, their level of service is very high. I understand your point, don't get me wrong, I just don't think it is the reason as to why the service here in the US has gone down so much, it is not only the airlines from the UAE that have good service, as a matter of fact, some of the better airlines in the world also operate under a highly regulated, taxed environment.

I have to say, as a Delta pilot I see none of these things you're referring to. Are lavs are clean every leg I work. Are food is delicious, & looks nothing like dog barf. Who are you flying?

Maybe you have absolutely no point of reference, all that I experienced as recently as DL622 from NRT-MSP last week, I was quite surprised as to how bad the whole experience was

What? You didn't get bread sticks and cognac? The horror.

By opening a customs pre-clearane in Abu Dhabi? GMAFB Alpa! How lame. The actual affect from this is so miniscule, it doesn't even deserve a press release. Fact: no US passenger airline flies to Abu Dhabi. Fact: Etihad Airways inflight service completely blows away any US carrier inflight service. And fact: IF a US airline was to fly to Abu Dhabi, it would receive the same customs pre-clearance benefit.

DL622 was catered with dogbarf? Which meal was that?

How was your cognac? Did you get extra breadsticks?

Does that mean that those against clearing in OMAA should insist that clearing in Ireland, Canada, and Bermuda should be terminated too?


I would bet that if t deal were to go through, there would be allowances by the UAD for US carriers to operate on routes that Etihad does to level the playing field.

But come on folks... Compare the quality of service on US carriers vs Foreign carries. What the advantage for a fare paying customer spending good money for crappy service, and crappy food and grog doled out by employees with crappy attitudes obvious to the casual observer? You recently check the interiors and amenities offered by US carriers vs carriers servicing the Middle East?

When is the last time you saw a US inflight crew actually clean a lav during the flight? When I was riding on ANA they did it on a regular basis. I agree with Dom...the service of foreign airlines is what will undermine US airlines. It has nothing to do with the age of FA's but everything to do with the how those FAs treat the pax.