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CONNECTION CONSTERNATION

It wasn’t very long ago that US airlines were complaining that they weren’t receiving their market share in the international travel industry. Aside from the fact that their fares are usually much higher than their international counterparts, there is also a little something called “customer service”. If many passengers had my recent experience on American Airlines, it could also be one of the primary reasons US carriers are trailing in the international market.

This point was illustrated on a recent flight on American Airlines from Dallas, Texas to Hong Kong. My first sign of trouble was after I booked the flight online and went to the seat selection chart to book a seat. To my surprise the economy seats were averaging US$79 each! You wouldn’t know you’d be paying this price for seats until after you’d purchased the ticket, as usually the price of seats is included in the fare.

We pulled away from the gate in Dallas nearly