:D

I think I used to date her too!:eek:

Yep. Sounds like not everybody is on board with the Big 3's agenda:


“The U.S. should not capitulate to the interests of a few carriers who stand ready to put their narrow, protectionist interests ahead of the economic benefits that open skies provides,” David J. Bronczek, the chief executive of FedEx Express, said in a letter to three cabinet officials last month


The industry’s trade organization, the Airports Council International-North America, said that open skies were critical to attract foreign carriers as domestic airlines cut back international service from many airports.
Airports “should not be held hostage by U.S. airline decisions regarding which markets to serve,” the group said in its own letter to cabinet officials in February


Roger J. Dow, the head of the United States Travel Association, which represents airports, travel organizations and hotels, said that travelers had benefited tremendously from increased competition, particularly after domestic airlines consolidated their business through mergers.
“This is one of many efforts where the big three U.S. carriers are trying to set the rules of who can do business here,” Mr. Dow said. “This is about stamping out competition, not about leveling the playing field.




http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/bu...e-us.html?_r=1

Delta to cut international flights later this year - Apr. 15, 2015

The airline said that there will be a 15% to 20% reduction in service from Japan, 15% reduction to Brazil, 15% to 20% reduction to Africa, India and the Middle East, and suspension of service to Moscow.

And these are exactly the markets that the ME3 are serving and then connecting to North America.

Do you know the origin of US carrier fifth freedom rights?

TP,

In general I'm not sure what to think of all this with the ME3 and govt subsidies and how real it all is. The one thing that really makes me wonder though, as far as I can tell they are pretty cheap to fly on. Similar to US carriers in price, but nice new planes, good food, serivce, etc. So if they aren't being subsidized, how do they afford all the new planes? From my very low knowledge pov, the math doesn't seem to add up.

. You are right, it doesn't add up. The way they do it is, they finance their new Boeing 777's and 787's at a discount in part paid for with your tax dollars, thought the Export Import Bank. This was supposed to generate US Jobs, and Boeing will tell you it does, by making their airplanes cheaper for Foreign carriers to buy, so they buy more of them, i.e. more jobs.

US Carriers cannot use the Ex-Im bank to finance their new airplanes, which is why Delta just ordered 50 new Airbus aircraft to replace it's old 767's, instead of 787's.

BUT... look a little deeper. In addition to getting cheaper financing for new Boeings, the Middle East Carriers pay their Pilots and cabin crews well below what the US Carriers pay their employees. And they have zero work rules, so their employees work longer hours.

Ask yourself why there is no longer a US Cruise Ship industry.

It was outsourced to cheaper foreign labor/work rules.

That's what the Middle East Carriers want to do with the US Airline Industry.

Here. read this, click on the 'Leveling the playing field' link too:

http://www.alpa.org/Portals/Alpa/Pre...9-14_14.41.htm

ACI Asia Pacific reported (15-Apr-2015) passenger traffic in the Asia Pacific region increased 9.7% year-on-year in Feb-2015, citing impact from seasonal passenger traffic surge during Lunar New Year. Middle Eastern airports reported a growth of 7.0%. In Asia Pacific, many airports posted double-digit growth, with the Lunar New Year holiday period significantly boosting international traffic: Tokyo Haneda recorded a 51.1% increase in international passengers followed by Shanghai Pudong (+28.9%). Bangalore grew at +29.6% in overall passengers and is likely to surpass 15 million by the end of 2015. The growth of Middle East airports were led by: Abu Dhabi at 21.5% and Doha at 15.6%. Freight traffic increased 14.3% in Asia Pacific and up 12.3% at Middle Eastern airports. Shanghai Pudong led Asia-Pacific with the highest growth rate 23.6% while Dubai (Dubai International and Dubai World Central combined) led the Middle East at 37.8%.

No union vs ..... a union that treats regional pilots like step children.
No labor laws vs ...... the RLA.

Pick your poison. :D

I love this country, but man do we have some double standards........

I don't have any problem with airlines adding service to the US if they are abiding by the rules- rules that include not being allowed to receive multi-billion dollar subsidies from their governments.

TP, curious.....did you read the whitepaper from beginning to end that was put out by the US airlines?

http://skift.com/wp-content/uploads/...te.Paper-2.pdf



Drofdeb-

Last I checked, there are no US regional airlines based in an absolute monarchy like Dubai, so they have freedom. Regional pilots have the freedom to pick a different union or to create their own union. If regional pilots feel like they are being treated like step children by the union THEY chose to have on the property, I think they should leave and form a better one.

Yup all 19000 of us should leave while the RLA ties our hands behind our back and does not offer the same courtesy to management.
And last I checked, its the major airlines that control the purse strings and the circumstances surrounding the regional industry, but lets just ignore all that.
Freedom :rolleyes: :p. Its just an illusion. Double standards is the reality.

Carry on.