America is now one of the worst places in the world to fly. Here's how it happened

Telegraph

01-04-2025

'Bags fly free' was US carrier Southwest's calling card. It was so important to the airline's appeal that it trademarked the phrase. Now the slogan is gone.
From May, almost all customers who book an economy-class seat on Southwest will have to pay to check a bag. Likely $25 a pop. (Travellers with top-tier loyalty status are exempt).
US commentators – and frequent Southwest flyers – have lamented the move as the end of an era. They're not wrong. From May, no US carrier will offer a free checked bag to all those in the cheap seats.
How different things are in Europe. Book most economy-class fares on all but the low-cost carriers – Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz – and you will be able to check a bag for free on short and long-haul flights. Advance up the cabin towards the pointy end and things get better still.
The premium economy, business and first-class cabins on European carriers outclass those on US carriers by (air) miles, with plusher seats and suites, better food and wine, and branded amenity kits.
Shift to the Gulf carriers and Singapore Airlines and things go up yet another notch, with more legroom as standard in economy and good food and drink. (Top tip: always have the curry).
In the Gulf, business and first-class passengers enjoy a chauffeur service to and from the airport and caviar with vintage champagne on board. You can even shower before you land, as Jennifer Aniston pointed out in her TV commercial for Emirates, much to the irritation of the US airlines she lampooned.
American carriers used to be big and beautiful. Pan American Airways put the glamour into flying, coining the term 'the jet set'. It was the first airline to operate Boeing's 747, 'the Queen of the Skies', in 1970. How things have changed.
When Telegraph Travel conducted an in-depth analysis of 90 major airlines last year, comparing them across more than 30 criteria, from legroom to punctuality, no American carrier made the top 20 (Alaska and Delta were the closest, at 23rd and 24th). American Airlines came 32nd; Southwest 45th; a trio of US low-cost carriers – Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier – came 87th, 88th and 89th, respectively.
So why are US airlines now so much worse than others?
Economic pressures have led to a consolidation that has stifled competition, driving down standards. Pan Am collapsed in 1991, brought low by rising oil prices and its failure to develop domestic services to feed passengers onto its long-haul routes. After the 9/11 terror attacks sparked a slump in demand, TWA fell into bankruptcy and Northwest was absorbed into Delta.
USAirways was bought by a low-cost start up called America West, which then adopted the USAirways name. The new USAirways then bought American Airlines and promptly rebranded itself American.
The consolidation applied to more than simply the airlines, it affected airports too. Delta, American, and United developed regional hubs across the US routes to and from which they now dominate. AA's 'home' is Dallas, Delta 'owns' Atlanta and United is synonymous with Newark Liberty.
The result is that the four core supercarriers – American, Delta, Southwest and United – and their affiliate regional airlines now control 80 per cent of the routes in the United States, with strong regional dominance. This leaves them with 'little incentive to invest in product or service or to be more innovative in order to capture and keep customers in the US,' says Henry Harteveldt, a leading US aviation analyst and president of the San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research Group.
Compare that with Europe, where each country has an international flag carrier which competes with the others on the continent, plus the budget airlines. The UK has two national full-service airlines – BA and Virgin Atlantic. It's the same story in the Gulf where Emirates scraps with Qatar Airways, Etihad and soon Riyadh Air. In the Asia-Pacific market, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean and Qantas duke it out on domestic and international routes.
Those brave souls that have tried to improve things in the US – notably Sir Richard Branson, who launched Virgin America with mood lighting, Wi-Fi and power sockets in every seat – have been stifled. Alaska Airlines made Branson an offer to buy the airline that he could not refuse – and, after the deal was signed, closed down the airline and rebranded all its jets Alaska.
You might think that US carriers would raise their game on lucrative international routes where they compete with European, Gulf or and Asian airlines, but, once again, lack of competition nixes it. Most Americans fly with one of the big three US international carriers – Delta, American and United – since they are locked into one of those airlines' loyalty programmes which penalises them if they fly on a partner airline.
That's why very soon no US carrier will offer a first-class service from London to the US. The American carriers are not competing with BA and if two no longer offer first class – Delta and United – American Airlines might as well phase it out, too. Which is what it is doing.
Lack of competition is compounded by the demands of Wall Street. As public companies, American carriers have to report detailed financial earnings every quarter and these are closely scrutinised by investors and analysts. This can mean US airlines end up being 'far more short-term focused than foreign-flag competitors, such as the Lufthansa Group carriers, the Air France/KLM Group, and IAG, which comprises British Airways and Iberia,' says Harteveldt.
The desire to drive down costs and flatter the bottom line also explains why many US carriers have fewer cabin crew than European, Gulf or Asian airlines and why food and wine are below par. Airline executives counter their critics by pointing out that fares in the US can be ultra-low, compared with flying in many other parts of the world.
There is one sign of improvement for long-suffering Americans. Some US carriers, notably Delta, are investing in their lounges. The new Delta One lounges give Virgin's Clubhouses a run for their dollar.
My advice, if you really have to fly on a US carrier? If you are locked into the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club loyalty programme and have a silver or gold frequent-flyer card, fly Delta (a Virgin codeshare partner in the US) and make sure you book the extra legroom seats if you are at the back of the bus. If you are a BA loyalist, choose AA but try to connect through its Dallas hub which has great restaurants and its best lounge.
Good luck Stateside.