If Dubai is so great, what are you doing slumming around on Flightinfo? Don't you have some sort of expatriate website to check out?
Mooney,
Pan Am had no domestic feed until they tried to get some by purchasing National. By then it was too late. Delta is simply rebalancing assets...we used to only get 20% of our revenue from international. Now to goal is 40-50% with a well diversified mix of destinations throughout the world. Having all of our eggs in one basket is bad, especially with what has become of the basic domestic market.
Typhoon,
No kidding our US products are generally inferior service-wise. Unfortunately we can't fire the Flight Attendants at 30 any longer (ala Signapore Airlines and countless others). We also aren't propped up with government subsidies either, like a few of our EU friends. I wish we had all the great amenities that Emerites and other airlines have, but it would probably be wasted on the American consumer....everybody wants something for nothing in this country...and thanks to Airlines like Skybus, and soon-to-be Virgin USA, they sometimes get it. We are getting TVs in our 737s starting this fall, however. That has to be worth something.
Does he have to ask the Dubai government for permission to leave Dubai/UAE to go on vacation? = No
Can EK managment change the terms of his or any contract on a whim? = No more than a U.S. major can eliminate the pension plan or force a 50% pay cut. Woops, I guess that means yes. For instance this year they unilaterally decided to increase the basic pay 6% and add a flight pay component resulting in another 10%.
Are Americans embraced with open arms in that part of the world? Just want to get some clarification. = Well, I've never had any major problems due to my nationality.
