GF,

Think Back into History. Pan Am was a premium and only-international airline. They needed Domestic Feed (they had Hi and Ak), they wanted it. Thus the doomed purchase of National Airline to develop a Domestic presence. Before the National purchase, the Congress was "sold", by the US Domestic airlines, that Pan Am should never have a domestic presence because of Monopoly risks. This reinforced the CAB's stance on not allowing Pan AM to ever operate any Domestic routes (Ak/Hi allowed)/

Guess what happened after Pan AM bought National for an absurd amount of money? Deregulation came through and all the airlines that were operating DOmestically, now had the ability to compete with Pan Am Internationally. This was one of the first nails in Pan Am's coffin.

I think the ME carriers are slowly trying to infiltrate our Domestic system. Currently, their agreements with domestic carriers, relationships with Boeing, impeding pilot shortage and unlimited money supply will fortify and enhance their chances of US Domestic operations. THink US shipping.

Take care,

TEN
TEN

There are just so many reasons why this won't happen, beginning with where these airlines are operated from. Remember 9/11? I'm sure you do as does every other American. Do you honestly believe Americans are going to fly domestically around the US on an airline named Emirates? How about Ehilad? Come on, most people don't even know how to pronounce that one. Their obvious association with the Middle
East will make it a dealer breaker, no doubt about it.
Now put a different paint job on it, register it in the US, but ownership by way of some overseas entity and I see that as a possibility. Even poaching International flying like New York-London is going to require the behind the door political intrigue that some here fear. Support your unions PAC. If your union doesn't lobby congress, or you don't work for a unionized airline, rattle your own sword with your congressional delegation. :)

I hope you are right!:)

TEN

Jetblue comes to mind.... nothing preventing them from doing domestic feed for ME carriers..... especially their "pilots"

You all keep having these delusions about cabotage and mention US maritime industry. You do know that cabotage, in the form of US port to US port transit, is illegal there? Within the US, all ships must be US-flagged and US-crewed, which is why your Alaska crushes begin and end in Vancouver, BC.

Cabotage, let alone cabotage performed by ME carriers ain't happin', period. Cabotage is a very jealously guarded by all nations, so it really would be precedent setting move by the US. I've been challenged in France and held by French Customs until the pax list, all UK and, hence Schengen holders, was reviewed and found to all be company, private citizens. We were a private operation, for hire, I'd have been impounded.

JB is a whole other story and quite believable as feed for EK. Which is likely why BOS is a new EK destination.

GF

But to where? EK will be flying DXB-BOS. Is there a lot of demand for flights to the UAE from the hither land? If Emirates or any other ME carriers get 5th freedom from BOS or JFK to multiple European destinations, I could see a problem. EK has received the OK from the Italians to fly MXP-JFK, but I'm not even sure they can feed JFK-MXP with their "rights". Maybe a EKer can answer that one. In any case, its going to take a political signoff to make any of this happen, and Carl is hot on the case to make sure it doesn't. ;)

You can get an Alaska "inside passage" cruise R/T Seattle -- they simply make a stop for several hours at Victoria, BC. That's long enough for an enjoyable visit to Butchart Gardens. :)

Point taken, Tom, but the point is shipping needs the stop outside the US to avoid cabotage and Jones Act violations.

TEN YEARS GONE,

How does PAA's story relate? The downfall of PAA has nothing to do with foreign carriers entering the US market. The bidding war for National was between PAA and EAL, Borman even bragged that the price was too high and PAA couldn't afford it and buying them wasn't necessary. In the 30 years since, there has not been one discussion of relieving cabotage law.

In any case, DL got most of PAA's route authority, so you benefited. Why have US carriers continued to retreat from international markets? Perhaps, because they can't find passengers who will fly to Europe, Asia on them? PAA went out of business mostly because of their high handed service, poor management and an assumption that US passengers should want to fly on them. Sound familiar?

GF

GF,

My point is that "things change". What you once thought was impossible, becomes very possible.

TEN