Airlines

Our Work

Since airline deregulation in the 1970s, the U.S. airline industry has consolidated into an oligopoly, forcing travelers to deal with limited options and poor service while the industry seeks bailouts and public support after major crises. VPA's Project on Networks, Platforms, and Utilities addresses how policymakers can improve air travel.

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Improving the Passenger Airline Experience

11/21/24

In this policy blueprint, Ganesh Sitaraman and Anirudh Jonnavithula show how to improve the in-flight passenger experience. From addressing shrinking seat sizes to improving infant travel and wheelchair access, these recommendations would make flying safer, less miserable, and more convenient. 

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Why Flying is Miserable

In this book, Ganesh Sitaraman argues that reforms are needed to fix the concentrated airline industry and low-quality air service that American travelers deal with today. Tracing the industry’s problems back to airline deregulation in 1978, Sitaraman proposes new ideas for airline policy that prioritize access, stability, and fair pricing. (Columbia Global Reports, 2023)

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In The News

11/14/23

When air travel featured piano bars and champagne

Ganesh Sitaraman discusses how deregulation has affected air travel since the 1970s in an oped for CNN.

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9/21/23

Airlines Are Just Banks Now

Ganesh Sitaraman argues that frustrating mileage programs are a symptom of airline deregulation in an oped for The Atlantic.

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11/14/23

Why Airlines Don’t Fly to Your City and Other Problems Washington Caused

Ganesh Sitaraman discusses the history of airline deregulation and offers policy solutions in an oped for Politico.

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