United and Delta Air are losing on their home-turf against the trio of state owned Persian Gulf carriers, Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad, reported Susan Carrey in her article on the Wall Street Journal “U.S. Airlines Balk at the Rise of Gulf Rivals”. While the US companies struggled to stay afloat during the the recent recession and soaring fuel prices, the Gulf carriers expanded rapidly. Now, big American airlines are resorting to government lobbying for legislation that would give them “fair” advantages. However in trying to pick a fight with their rivals, they have in fact missed the most important link in the issue: their customers.

The simple truth is, the Gulf airlines are just plain better. While the Americans can’t compete on the exact same footing, they don’t have to. Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad’s competitive advantage lies with luxury. They offer the experience of grandeur and a sense of imperial excess – everything from their regal service to the over-sized A380. Americans should instead focus on what they can do better: trendiness, efficiency, beauty from simplify, and the fun factor – all the values brought by advances in the digital era and promoted by companies like Apple, Google, and even Zappos. These aren’t qualities that the Gulf Airlines would be able to copy authentically. People can get tired of luxury quickly, but it’s harder to get bored of the creative and the new…