True, but often intra-Asia F and J flights are substantially cheaper than a similar length flight within the United States.

It's all about costs. Asian carriers can control their labor costs far more easily than American carriers. It is far easier for AA to cost cut in-flight service than it is to cost cut labor.

Also, one cannot ignore the role of culture. American culture is less formal, less subserviant, less hierarchical and less service oriented. As much as I love Asian travel (and I've been in PVG all this past week for work), I kindof look forward to walking aboard the AA flight and experiencing the familiar casualness of the United States.