"The national carrier of the world's most egalitarian nation ironically boasts the most elitist VIP lounge of any airline," she wrote of the lounge – where membership is by invitation-only.
Last month, after the two airlines announced their projects, Loyola de Palacio, the European Commission's chief of transportation, wrote to organizations of airlines serving Europe, urging them to inform passengers of the risks and precautionary measures to take before and during long flights.
He writes that domestic airlines "...operate at a disadvantage because some foreign airlines receive government subsidies, have lower labor costs and don't deal with U.S. regulations, some of which hamstring the growth of domestic airlines".
"Yes," he wrote, "the airlines have seen the last of me.
"After years of belt-tightening," he writes, "airline executives are investing again to attract business passengers willing to pay a premium for tickets, and food is a big part of that effort".
Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri sent a letter to Michael P. Huerta, acting administrator of the F.A.A., writing that airline customers were "growing increasingly skeptical of prohibitions on the use of many electronic devices during the full duration of a flight".
Among the biggest changes in the industry since 1981, he wrote, are consolidation and globalization of airlines and the carriers' decision to increasingly put "their marketing focus on price ahead of the customer relationship".
For instance, Judith Goldberg of Tel Aviv writes: "I flew Austrian Airlines from Tel Aviv to Delhi, via Vienna.
Seven European aviation firms have written to governments complaining about the inclusion of airlines in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Last week, after writing about the proliferation of airline fees and higher fares amid a steady decline in service, I asked readers if they were changing their air travel behavior.
