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A White House Meeting With Airline CEOs Turned Into "A Lot of Yelling": Report
Zach Wichter
Aviation Industry Reporter
Zach has been interested in things that go since he was a kid. He previously worked at The New York Times and spent much of his time there covering the aviation industry, including contributing to the paper’s reporting on the 737 Max crisis at Boeing. He grew up in Bethpage, on Long Island, and graduated from Northwestern University in 2013 where he majored in journalism and gender and sexuality studies.
July 30, 2019
•
3 min read
A White House Meeting With Airline CEOs Turned Into "A Lot of Yelling": Report
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In an Oval Office meeting earlier this month that featured "a lot of yelling," according to one attendee, President Trump took US airline executives to task over their ongoing dispute with Middle Eastern carriers.
NBC News first reported on the meeting, which was attended by the CEOs of American and United, as well as Qatar Airways, JetBlue and cargo carriers FedEx and Atlas Air.
The meeting revolved around the claim by American, Delta and United that the three biggest airlines in the Middle East — Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad — are violating the so-called Open Skies agreements regulating air traffic between their nations and the US. The US airlines are especially concerned that the three Gulf-based carriers are also eating into their lucrative transatlantic market share by exploiting "fifth-freedom flights", which stop in Europe on the way to the Middle East.
US airlines have long complained that the flights represent unfair competition, claiming that the Gulf-based airlines receive high government subsidies that allow them to sell cheap tickets on overseas flights. The issue has come to a renewed boiling point recently after Qatar Airways purchased a 49% stake in Air Italy, a move that American carriers viewed as a way for Qatar to skirt the rules and use Air Italy to carry passengers between Europe and the US — even though Qatar does not hold a majority of the Italian airline.
A trade group representing the US airlines even aired commercials on Fox News to try to draw the president's attention to the issue, according to the report. But, when Trump got the airline executives together in a room, he mostly criticized the performance of the US carriers, according to people who attended the meeting.
Trump was particularly incensed that Delta's CEO Ed Bastian did not attend, despite the fact that he was a key voice in complaints against the Middle Eastern carriers, according to NBC.
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On one side of the meeting were the American and United CEOs; on the other the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar al Baker — who once called Trump "my friend" — plus the CEOs of FedEx, JetBlue and Atlas Air, which disagree with the other US airlines on the issue and side with the Gulf carriers.
In the end, Trump encouraged the American companies to take their complaints to official channels if they want to pursue a legal remedy to the disagreement. The Department of Transportation has an appeals process for such issues, but the US carriers have been hesitant to pursue that complex avenue, and the department has also been hesitant, since it would pit some US airlines against others.
A Trump administration official quoted by NBC said the DOT was likely to find in favor of the "Middle East Three" if that process were to move forward.
Featured image by The Washington Post/Getty Images
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Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.