Originally Posted by
3Cforme
How many carriers operate from West Coast airports with one-stop service to Europe? Plenty.
How many of those carriers deviate from programmatic cartel pricing, or break from the pack with innovative / better products, service, or FF benefits? None -- except Icelandair with routinely below-market pricing for those who fancy 757s and stumbling through KEF at 500am.
There is not much point in having six or seven "competitors" offer one-stop (e.g. connecting) service on a given city-pair if they all charge the same fare, fly the same aircraft type, leave and arrive at roughly the same time, offer the same weak level of amenities, and treat you with the same level of indifference.
They're not "competing" -- and they don't have to because they will all, in the end, push back full. They are dividing a captive market from a position of consolidated pricing power. Like utility companies.