“Imagine a group of 8-year-old girls in a soccer match, playing their hearts out. Team A is trying hard, playing by the rule book. But they’re losing. Team B is also trying hard. But every time Team A goes for a score, Team B’s parents all stand in front of the goal to block every shot. And when Team B goes in for a goal, their parents hold Team A back, just to make sure their girls win.

It’s not quite that bad in the international airline industry, but it’s close. I’ve flown from London to Dubai on Emirates, and it’s an out-of-this-world wonderful experience. Fantastic food, top-class entertainment, roomy seating, fabulous service. When you arrive at the airport in Dubai, passengers disembark with ease because the gates are set up with double walkways connecting to the front and middle part of the plane. The airport itself is eye-popping, like going to air-travel Disney World.

The differences couldn’t be more stark when you transfer to American Airlines or British Airways in London. That’s because the airlines that compete in the real world, playing their hearts out, are like Team A. They have to watch their costs, budget tightly and make sure they milk every dollar they can per passenger mile. No parents to block the other team’s goals”

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