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Old 08-02-2017, 11:32 PM
malba2366 malba2366 is offline
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The three Gulf airlines provide excellent customer service but it should be obvious to anyone that they are being heavily subsidized by governments. There is no way without subsidy that these airlines could amass these huge widebody fleets so quickly. Additionally, there is some evidence of predatory behavior like using fifth freedom routes that make no economic sense (ie. EK flying a half full A380 daily from JFK to Milan or EK flying from EWR to ATH with a 777). Yes other airlines have fifth freedom but it is usually due to a load or range issue (ie. AI JFK to LHR to BOM or CX JFK to YYZ etc.). EK already flies 2 A380s a day direct JFK to DXB, so there is no valid economic or equipment range reasons that would require the one flight to stop in Milan. This type of thing benefits consumers in the short term, but eventually if it takes profitable routes away from domestic carriers and forces further cycles of bankruptcy/consolidation with the domestic carriers which will lead to increased fares domestically.

The ATC infrastructure and such is paid for by the airport fees on tickets, and all airlines that fly into US airports benefit from ATC. There is some argument that the US carriers have a subsidy of sorts in their exclusive access to the US domestic market, but that can be said of airlines in any country.

The reason I personally chose to fly US/British/French carriers on overseas flight is pilot quality. Almost all pilots on US/British/French carriers flying overseas are from the military. The Gulf carriers get many of their pilots from Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe and much of their training is from flight colleges, where they do not get anywhere near the experience that a military pilot does. Look at what Captain Sullenburger did...there is no way someone who learned on flight simulators and with barely any hand flying experience could land that plane on the Hudson.

Last edited by malba2366; 08-17-2017 at 10:12 AM.
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