Last week I was traveling in Africa, in Cameroon to be precise. I flew around Cameroon, marveling at the splendor of the Congo rain forest, which you can see on this month’s “Quest” (hey, it’s my blog…I can promote my show if I want to).

Anyway, I was reminded that we are indeed very lucky in the standard of airports and service we enjoy in the West. Douala Airport is a pretty grim place to be stranded for any length of time. Whether it’s the overcrowded check-in, the lack of any decent toilet facilities or the overzealous souvenir salesmen that turn the departure lounge into a virtual bazaar, the place is only just about functioning as an airport. With one exception. Porters.

Uniformed, fast, friendly and remarkably efficient at getting me through checking and customs. And all for a fixed price… yup, we might be able to tell Douala how to run an airport, but they can also teach us a thing or two.

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I also promised to keep you informed with the success of the Iris scan at Heathrow Airport for which I have registered. Many of you think these biometric readers rarely work. Coming in from Africa, (via Zurich) I found the machine rejected me several times until a fellow iris user told me to enter the booth keeping your hand baggage behind you. Got that? Behind you! Bingo! It worked a treat. So, Heathrow, you are four for four.

Now we just have to get countries to all use the same biometric parameters (iris, fingerprints, face recognition – I don’t care which), so that the true benefits of this can be realized by the traveling public as much as the security it offers. I will keep you informed.

Posted by Richard Quest: 2:56 PM

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Firstly let me say a few words to Annika, who if you follow the previous blog takes me to task for not writing more, and points out the Swedish foreign minister blogs five times a day! I remember the days when people use to boast about being able to do something five times a night instead!

You’re right Annika, I should write more often and I will write more often… when I have something useful to say. I don’t hold with the blogging mentality that just because my brain has sputtered and come up with some thought, I ought to bore you with it ad nauseum. You are busy enough without reading my random meanderings on whether my boiled egg was suitably runny for the dippy soldiers this morning.

There is one other thought, and I know it’s a heresy to suggest anything bad about blogging, but here goes. Doesn’t anyone find it strange that the Swedish foreign minister has the time to blog five times a day? I mean, either the blog isn’t truly his (and is written by advisers) or he is spending so much time writing it that the Swedish people might legitimately say he should spend more time on foreign policy matters. Which is it?

Posted by Richard Quest: 2:27 PM

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I have to blog about the proposed “open skies” agreement between the U.S. and EU – if you don’t know what I am talking about click here. If you don’t care about it then perhaps ignore this blog.

Substantially the arguments come down to this. Any European carrier will be able to fly from any European country to any city in the United States. And in return any U.S. carrier will be able to fly to any EU country.

And now the sticky bit. The U.S. carrier will be allowed to fly onto another EU country (effectively getting fifth freedom intermediate rights and thus behaving as an EU carrier), whereas European airlines won’t get the same rights in the U.S. So Europe becomes one big open market for the U.S. carriers, but the USA effectively remains “50 individual countries” that you can’t fly between.

The US already has “open skies” with at least 20 Europe countries, but of course, getting the right to fly around France is hardly worth a candle compared to being allowed to fly between the EU member states.

Not surprisingly, carriers like Aer Lingus, and Iberia are delighted – the agreement will give them new rights. BA and Virgin are fuming because they are based at London Heathrow, and this is what the whole deal is really all about.

The UK-U.S. routes account for 40 per cent of trans-Atlantic traffic and Heathrow is by far and away the most important airport (only BA, Virgin, United and American can fly between Britain and the USA from here). BA is said to make three quarters of its profits on the trans-Atlantic routes because of the premium traffic it generates.

From the UK business travelers’ point of view:

“Open skies” will be a big win. No doubt about it. Next week I am flying Business from London to New York –it is half price if I go via Paris, Frankfurt, or in my case Zurich than if I go direct. “Open skies” will give more competition.

But – and this is something often overlooked – at the back of the bus, in economy, the UK price is very cheap because there is so much capacity. The cheapie seats are sold off in the discount market as incremental revenue to the higher-yield business seats.

From British Airways' and Virgin's point of view:

You are right to oppose the agreement. BA stands to lose its crown jewels with nothing in return. Virgin has already been refused permission to fly in the U.S. on spurious ownership grounds. It is clear the U.S. is not about to open up its domestic market in real terms, and anyway, who wants to take on American, United and JetBlue on their home turf besides Sir Richard?

From the European regulators' point of view:

You have got the best deal you could, but it is not good enough. You are so desperate to get a deal before the U.S. presidential election gets in the way that you have sacrificed Europe’s biggest airport and the airline for whom America is the most important market, for the sake of everyone else. You will regret this when you are bailing out European carriers in the future.

From the Americans' point of view:

You can’t believe your luck. Europe has agreed to open up the continent, and you have given beads back in return. Your airlines may be basket cases today, but that won’t be forever. Nope. This is a winner takes all. And you have scooped the pot.

p.s. Don’t listen to the nonsense about how Heathrow is already full. It is full but that doesn’t mean any carrier that is determined can’t and won’t buy slots to start flying from there. Remember, American Airlines only started with a handful of slots when it began at Heathrow, but still managed to grow like a weed.

Posted by Richard Quest: 12:30 PM

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