Chris wrote:
"xyzzy" wrote in message
...
wrote:

FWIW the US does restrict foreign-registered ships and planes from
carrying domestic passengers. A Thai Airlines flight that originates at
JFK and stops at LAX to pick up more pax and fuel cannot sell a ticket
for the JFK-LAX segment.

Not sure this is just a US restriction. On the rec.travel.air newsgroup
(where I haven't hung out in a few years so this may changed) they used to
refer to this as the "fifth freedom" and I don't think any country allows
it.

The UK allows it, that I do know. Its possible for example to buy a ticket
on say air India from London to New York, on a service that started in
Mumbai.

This is not cabotage and is allowed in the US as well. I used to travel
from JFK to FRA frequently and you could often get a great deal on
Singapore Airlines (one of the world's best) because they would fly
JFK-FRA-SKG and while the FRA-SKG segment was always full there were
often a few dozen empty seats on the JFK-FRA leg which they would fire
sale for 1/3rd of the price on DL or LH.

Cabotage would be as for the example I gave above where the foreign
flight touches down in two or more US cities such as BKK-LAX-JFK, and
sells a ticket for the LAX-JFK segment. The only people this benefits
are US airlines, who at this point deserve only a little more sympathy
than French truck drivers. I supported the post-9/11 bailouts because
that was an extraordinary event and defense/nat'l security issues are
the most essential purpose of the whole federal shebang, but that's
behind us. The only people benefiting from the current system are
sleazebag airline execs who get paid millions to lose billions. Time to
let the free market sort things out, IMHO.

-cwk.