Originally Posted by number_6
At first I thought it was an attack on EI but it looks like the market has plenty of traffic and it is AA selecting a route based on probable yield.
Hmm I'm not so sure. It's well known that IB were none too pleased at what they felt was a grab of their traffic through EIs rapid expansion of routes into Spain so I can't help feeling AA is doing the same thing on EI (whats good for the gander and all that
) From what I'm told there's a lot of conflict within Oneworld itself about EIs continued membership. On one hand there is very little reciprocal benefit to the other members having EI in rather than out but on the other hand what they are doing is making them by far and away the most profitable carrier in the group with yields approaching the genuine LCCs. Kind of hard to kick someone out for being succesful.
Originally Posted by number_6
The very high disposable incomes currently in Ireland (maybe the richest country in Europe today per capita!) has led to huge increase in travel from Ireland as well as the business flying that goes with a booming economy. Who would have guessed that Ireland would evolve this way in the past decade? A massive beneficiary from joining the EU.
You're probably not wrong about disposable incomes. Mind you it's a credit-fueled spending spree rather than anything else and I'm convinced the young Irish are living through a 'good times will never end' euphoria similar to the UK in the 80s. I'd also argue that the adage that 'Dublin is closer to Boston than to Berlin' probably accounts for more of our success than anything else but thats a conversation well outside the remit of flyertalk!
