Articles tagged “open skies”

The big three Gulf carriers are still very important, but because of a variety of reasons, they're no longer as scary as they were a few years ago. Still, this is good news for U.S. airlines.

Do travelers care more about cheaper airfares or not having to schlep to a consulate, pay for a visa, and wait weeks or months for it to arrive? Many travel brands would say visa waivers are more important, and many travelers would agree. The U.S. doesn't seem to be in the business lately of making it easier for travelers to visit, visa waiver program aside.

We're not surprised American Airlines is not interested in blinged-out first and business class cabins. But we're still slightly puzzled at the U.S. carriers' anger toward the Gulf airlines. Yes, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar receive government assistance, but so do a lot of airlines.

These are fighting words from JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes, who does not like the tight control the largest U.S. airlines have over domestic and international markets.

This Open Skies debate never goes away, does it? So far, the Trump administration hasn't treated it much differently than the Obama administration, at least publicly. We'll have to see whether it eventually takes a tougher stance.

Here's a prediction. The Trump administration may do little on the Open Skies debate. Yes, U.S. airlines probably suffer because of the agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. But plenty of other U.S. interests take advantage of the same agreements to make money.

Southeast Asian countries have a grand vision for visa-free travel, massive infrastructure projects and more airline competition to grow route networks. However, too much bureaucracy and political unrest stand in the way for this to become a reality in the near-term.

The low-cost, long-haul model will come to Asia, says AirAsia's Tony Fernandes, if customers are willing to pay for it. Fernandes isn't shy about saying he's jealous about some of the moves Norwegian Air has made.

China is a long way from being an open market, but for carriers in China and the UK, this is welcome news. And since it means more flights, and more competition, it could lead to sightly lower fares.

Many U.S. airlines and their employee unions are concerned about Norwegian's rapid growth — and for good reason. With its low cost, long-haul model, Norwegian is a threat to legacy airlines.