I'm with you Patrick... we shouldn't allow foreign carriers to ply the domestic sky. Under no circumstance do I think it will ever be ok for foreign airlines to fly revenue generating domestic routes... there are just too many problems and issues to overcome. However, I have no problem with allowing partial or even majority foreign ownership of US airlines. Foreign investment accomplishes 2 things: cash injection into semi-insolvent companies like United; and closer co-operations with airline alliance partners.

With respect to the first point, the sad reality is that even if we don't do anything, some airlines will fail in the US. If we allow say Singapore Air or Lufthansa to take a significant stake in say Virgin America, Jet Blue, or even United, it will ensure these airlines survive and continue to provide US customer with some choice. If we let these airlines fold, some city will be left with only one carrier which is not good for anyone. In addition, US airlines need the capital to buy new planes to keep up with foreign competition (and keep pilots like you employed!). Witness the sad case of American Airlines which desperately wants to buy the 787 but with a balance sheet in tatters, it can't find anyone to finance the purchase.

With respect to my 2nd point, the industry is headed towards global consolidation anyway. With partner airlines from the global alliance (i.e. Star, One World, Sky Team etc) taking a stake in the US partners, it will allow better sales and marketing operations and more efficient route planning and aircraft deployment.

There are tangible benefits from partial or majority foreign ownership. Don't rule it out just because you instinctively believe it will lead to union busting and layoffs... as if US ownership had not done a fantastic job of running our airlines into the ground already.

Patrick, you must not be a friend of private pilots. A user fee system for general aviation similar to Europe will severely harm the future of the private pilot portion of general aviation. Flying for the fun of it is already expensive enough!!!

I can't believe a pilot is advocating user fees for private aviation. Many commercial pilots flying for airlines who didn't serve in the military started their flying career in private aviation. Implementing user fees in the US could cripple private aviation and discourage thousands from becoming pilots, like it has in Europe. Contrary to popular belief not all pilots are millionaires and many pilots of very sensitive to the increased cost of flying and the price of fuel.

As someone who is struggling to avoid to pay for my flight training to become a commercial pilot the potential of user fees could be crippling to my goals. User fees will compromise safety for private aviation and stop thousands of pilots and potential pilots from ever sitting in a cockpit again.

..that my mother will be able to carry her own yogurt on the plane again, without having it confiscated?

She's 77. It made for wonderful party conversation.

Here's someone who would look out for consumers' interests: Kate Hanni of Flyer's Rights. Check it out at:

http://www.flyersrights.com/

After disembarking into american airports travellers coming from international flights must reclaim their checked luggage and the re-check if they are connecting onto another flight, domestic or international. It seems like a needeless waste of time and in European airports where I usually almost travel international to international connecting flights I have never had to go through that process, even at that godforsaken rat trap that is CDG, where it took six Air France reps two hours to figure out I had missed my connecting flight to Houston. They still managed to ge my baggage with me even though it became the long, confusing MUC-CDG-EWR-IAH.

Rolling back TSA screening for anything more hazardous than a banana is a huge political landmine. Yes, the vast majority of travelers will be mightily relieved, but the shouts of, "We Knew It! He's A Terrorist Sympathiser!" will echo off the ionosphere.

I'm quite happy to continue avoid flight through or over the US - it's much more important that Obama direct his time and energy on bigger issues.

It's no secret that a cutting instrument can be fashioned from a simple credit card which has had an edge filed down by rubbing it on a rough surface, such as concrete.

There is absolutely no way to eliminate such weapons from someone determined to get on an aircraft with one.

Similarly, I really fail to see the danger presented by a simple can of shaving cream, especially since they don't conficate all cans, only those over a certain arbitrary size.

Five years ago, my mother was taken into a back room and searched before she could board an airplane. Why?

She was the second person in line.

She was 87 years old.

In Australia, where I've done the bulk of my GA flying, there are user fees. It hasn't "killed" General Aviation (GA) at all, or even hurt it substantially.

Flying for fun is an expensive hobby because of fuel costs, and the costs of maintaining small, lightly-used aircraft. Adding a (comparatively tiny) cost to help maintain the safety and quality of airport facilities is not only absolutely fair, but can actually be a huge lease of life for the secondary airports where most GA flying is done.

So, as a pilot with experience of GA fees, I think Patrick's suggestions are spot on.

The only thing "left out" of the article is a mention of the abortive attempt at "fixing" the US ATC system made in the 80s/90s. That should serve as a lesson for "how not to do it" when it is next attempted.

Another problem at the junction of flying, TSA, security, luggage and immigration is the lack of a "transit" status in US airports. Foreign travelers are obliged to go through all the formalities of entering and leaving the USA even for a brief several-hour layover.

Many other countries have secure Transit areas, where passengers must stay between flights, eliminating their need for visas/waivers, customs, immigration, baggage re-checking and a second trip through security.

It would take a major policy overhaul and some architectural and airside reconfigurations, but the gains in efficiency and passenger satisfaction would be worth it.