Originally Posted by moondog
Xiao Dong Wang: As much as I hate the thought of deflowering your spirited post, I have to take issue with your assertion that 1 billion people (on even 10%) give a rat's .... UA has been serving the exact same route for over a year (and also makes use of the same glamorous flight paths portrayed by the Ft. Worth Star Telegram). What's more, getting between China and Dallas has been a breeze for the past 15+ years.
Competition, of course, is great. With any luck, AA, UA, and even MU will start rewarding us with AVOD and hot nuts as they fight for our greenbacks.
What's more, I expect to see a drop-off in those "How to fly AA to Shanghai" threads that were common in years' past (well, at least from persons residing east of Denver).
But, the idea that ordinary Chinese care is a bit suspect. After all, what we're really talking about is a <10% increase in capacity, which mostly benefits AA loyalists. Sure, Harbin locals craving a weekend in Dallas benefit from those rock bottom fares, but the buck stops there.
That's a pretty cynical thesis. You're probably right that most Chinese people do not care about airline routes, but the same can be said about Americans. That does not mean that people do not benefit from increased trade links between two countries. Furthermore, since when can "Xiao Dong Wang" speak on behalf of the entire Chinese populace? He is inherently reflecting his own opinion upon China when making his statement.
Here's a parallel: Consider the common case that a politician travels abroad and says during a speech, "On behalf of the American people, thank you for _____[insert platitude]_____".
I have no idea whether
Xiao Dong Wang is sincere, but I think you've got to be joking me.