Prof. Vaaler's New Research on Customer Discrimination in Airline Industry Featured in the Economist

Professor Paul M. Vaaler and his co-author, Law School Affiliated Professor Joel Waldfogel, were interviewed by Economist business travel writer, Bill Ridgers for his Gulliver column. Their new study on customer discrimination in the international airline industry, "Discriminatory Product Differentiation: The Case of Israel's Omission from Airline Route Maps" was also profiled. Vaaler and Waldfogel analyze determinants of international airline online route maps and inflight menu options that indicative of anti-Semitism. They find that international airlines are more likely to omit Israel from online route maps and omit kosher meal options from online inflight menus when their likely customers are more anti-Semitic, and when their owners are states that do not recognize Israel. Some of these "Israel-denying" airlines are members of major international airline alliances, including Saudi Arabia's Saudia Airlines and Lebanon's MEA Airlines. Both are members of the SkyTeam Alliance led by Atlanta-based Delta Airlines.