US airlines versus Arab carriers: How does the battle affect fliers?

If you have to fly from New York to New Delhi on April 1, you can book throughh h one of fh the threeh bi big US airlinesi li for at least $1,100 round trip. Or you can take one of Emirates’ luxurious Airbus A380s for less than $900.

That choice is at the heart of the complaint raised by Delta, American and United Continental with US regulators. They say handouts from Persian Gulf governments let the region’s major carriers offer artificially low prices and flood the market with wide-body aircraft that have far more seats than could be filled from their home markets alone.

Emirates President Tim Clark called the assertions “bluster and flimflam,” Etihad Airways said it’s revie reviewing the evidence, and Qatar Airways had no comment. Clark travels to Wash Washington this month to present his rebut rebuttal. All three Gulf airlines have long d denied getting subsidies from their governments.

As the US reviews the complaints, here are some questions and answers for fliers.Aren’t cheaper fares and more service good for consumers?

The three Gulf carriers offer an average of 25 daily round trips to the US, to cities including New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Miami. Collectively, the US airlines offer just two daily flights to Dubai.

So, thanks to the Arab airlines, there’s more choice in reaching the major cities in the Persian Gulf. This week, Emirates sweetened the deal with an offer of a $1,299 round trip to Dubai from any of nine US cities for two people on tickets purchased by March 12. Is there a downside for passengers?

The US airlines say their Middle Eastern rivals are just taking market share from other carriers, rather than responding to new demand. As Emirates, Etihad and Qatar undercut Delta, American and United on some international routes, the US carriers will be forced to reduce service, they warn.

They contend that cheaper tickets to international destinations could wind up hurting passengers. If US airlines can’t compete with Gulf carriers on certain international routes, they’ll be left with fewer passengers on connecting domestic flights. That could make flights to small and midsize cities unprofitable, they say.Have the Gulf airlines really changed travel behavior in the US?