Let's Make A Deal March 10, 2015 It's open season on the Open Skies talks in Washington.  Emirates Airlines is now putting together a team from its legal, strategic and financial departments to hit back at allegations from US airlines that it used unfair business methods to become one of the leading forces in global aviation. Tim Clark, the Emirates president, is also planning to fly to Washington to meet officials from the Department of Transportation to head off any new restrictions to the current open skies policy. Detailed allegations were contained in a briefing last week. As FlyersRights has been writing about, the big three US airlines don't like what they see as 'unfair' competition from abroad, and they're asking the government to close an iron curtain to keep out foreign competition. The dispute is about more than Delta, United and American Airlines vs. Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. It also is a battle between the U.S. carriers and consumer groups, and it's likely to draw in such aviation industry heavyweights as Boeing and FedEx, writes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The U.S. airlines are accusing their Persian Gulf rivals of receiving over $40 billion in improper subsidies since 2004 from the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.  The Gulf carriers deny receiving subsidies and Qatar Airways Chief Executive says the US airlines had themselves received backdoor subsidies via Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The US big three airlines can't deny this. A GAO report says US airlines have shed over $23 billion worth of liabilities, dumped leases they agreed to and reneged on employee contracts. The US airlines like to say they're concerned about their employees but factoring in pensions liabilities offloaded on taxpayers, (some websites think it may be as high as $30 billion) and the payments made to airlines after 9/11, it adds up to benefits similar level to that the US airlines claim to have been taken by the Gulf carriers.   The US Airlines also enjoy anti-trust immunity protection with their airline alliances, which could be seen as a subsidy not only for US airlines but their European partners as well. In sum, this has nothing to do with the fairness of the market or US jobs, it's about protecting profits. The US airlines are dressing this up as some noble crusade for the US people but it is a selfish act.  Perhaps we know better what protectionism does. Usually it does not save the corporation it protects, but makes them lazy, less competitive and leaves a wrecked industry. Commerce Soaring in Airports Our attention in airports is now being monetized, while silence and non-commercial space are in short supply. Consider the commercial detritus and visual pollution in US airports that begins at TSA. The security bins are often pimped out with advertisements.  The NYTimes recently asked, who approved this?  Next is the departure gates, with the audible graffiti of nonstop blaring TVs and the moving handrails on the escalators now encased in ads.  In fact, there are almost no fields of view that haven't been claimed for commerce in an airport terminal because the people in them are captive. We're increasingly under mental and emotional siege, from the ads, to the monitors - it's an unnecessary commercial cacophony. An airport is no longer a place to relax and read a book waiting to board, instead, it's an assault. When you finally get onboard, there are video screens plastered on the seatback in front of each pair of eyes, where it's very difficult to tune out ads. Then a flight attendant comes around to pitch an application for the airline's credit card. At what cost? For coach class pasengers thinking they're paying fewer dollars, the truth is they're paying more in other ways: uncomfortable and unhealthy seating is obvious. But they're now paying more than in the past because their time is being sold for ads, yet they get no fare discounts for the profits the airlines make from selling these ads. This is not insignificant. Consider making a secured donation to FlyersRights. The loudest advocates and largest organization representing airline passengers Getting on a Plane?  Put This Number in Your Phone: Sign our Petition  for a Passenger Bill of Rights Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights with Paul Hudson, President Send comments and tips to Kendallc@FlyersRights.org or on Twitter @KendallFlyers. Read past newsletters!

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