In the US the service industry is second to none. Go to any restaurant, hotel, store and you will normally be treated very well. Why can't the airlines offer the same? If you go on some of the other threads you see posts of "cat ranchers" angry grandmothers" etc., please explain how it reached to this level?

It has been explained, repeatedly. Did you not read the thread up to now?

I've read all the threads on the subject, guess I'm not too smart, but the US carriers are capable of offering a better product, why don't they?

In another thread, someone mentioned one of the rating agencies with 5 star, 4 star, 3 star, etc. airlines. Apparently, most of the legacies are 3 star. I don't, know if this is true, but it is possible that the legacies are looking to be good enough, just good enough.

If you think about it in general terms, most seats are filled in the served markets. Good enough is able to do that. I'm no bean counter and would love it if we had 20 something hotties crewing all of our flights, but that isn't the way it actually is.

Some legacies have farther to go than others to provide service at the "good enough" level. I have only recently travelled on my own companies' flights internationally. In my small random sample, service actually exceeded MY expectations. IMO, service quality is driven by the purser. I really can't offer much more insight than that.

IMO also, the airlines of the Middle East are geographically well placed for transshipment of pax, not necessarily so for O&D, but there certainly is some of that.

It has always been my opinion that all of Dubai's investment in turning their country into Las Vegas was misplaced. The money would have been better spent by buying Belize and developing there. If you build it, they will come, will not last there, again my opinion.

If emirates opened a US base, there is no question they would get an absolute flood of ready applicants. I don't know how that would jive with US labor law and their business model. However, if Boeing is lobbying to open up US skies for Emirate cabotage, I am absolutely entrenched in my opposition.

You couldn't have read this thread too carefully because this thread is not about the product offered by one airline or another. I thought the title would have given you your first clue.

You're not alone though. I've learned that you sandbox airline guys respond to all threads with this defensive service differential stuff. Even if it's not the topic, your responses are the same.

Could you please start your own thread about how great your product is versus how much the US sucks? Please? Do you need a tutorial on how to start a new thread?

Carl

So discounting service (as we are told this thread is not about service but influence peddling); I would ask this, 'What is it going to take to convince a traveler from, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, or Greenville to abandon mother Delta and fly on a Middle Eastern :eek: airline??:rolleyes:

Price...

those southern rednecks already embrace communism at Wal Mart... they just don't get it....

Ok, I'll bite--is EK really interested in US domestic service? I doubt it and their Boeing orders are evidence unless there is a hidden market for ATL-MCO B777X service or A380 ATL-SLC.

GF

It would start with a complete gutting of the transcon market. JFK-LAX, BOS-SEA, etc. Bascially connecting large coastal cities to others they already fly to. Once EK and every other foreign airline (including alliance and independent EU/Oz airlines among others) saturated those markets to oblivion they will then turn to other US markets. Obviously some will never be serviceable by 777/380's, but there are plenty that are. Its almost funny to see the so called LCC's cut themselves off at the knees in the future for some easy feed today. The bread and butter of JB/VX are the transcend routes. As soon as a dozen or two foreign widebodies from all the carriers can penetrate that little cabotage barrier, they will be flooded with red ink trying to survive long term.

But as long as the FA's are cute that makes it all worth while. Mr. Big Strong American Businessman must really be in a hurry to lose half his stuff.

The historical long-term trend does not offer encouragement. We are not good at (do not place a value on) protectionism. Automotive, shipping, gadgets ... The trend is towards globalism and worldwide markets (NAFTA ...)

Ultimately this will be decided on Capitol Hill. It could go the way of the Dubai Ports deal or it could go the way of the shipping industry. We could lobby hard like Big Farm and Big Pharma (the only two segments that seem to be successful in maintaining trade barriers) or it could go the way of, well, every other industry. I wouldn't count on public support, since US airlines rank somewhere between insurance companies and tobacco firms in public perception.

Back the PAC and write to your representatives.