If we take the Canadian scenario out of the picture, there should be enough of a US population base and internal competition to make a good comparison with the EU. The problem, though, is that that competitive market has not yielded much if any profitability for most airlines. And plenty have gone bust--some more than once.

One problem with the comparison in the commentary piece is that it does not appear to take into account many of the add-ons that are required by airlines such as Ryanair (booking fee, credit card fee, check-in fee, luggage fee, etc.). These add up and shift the picture.