Getting to Europe from Cascadia may become cheaper and easier, thanks to an agreement between the U.S. and the European Union approved today.
The deal essentially lets airlines fly between any two points across the Atlantic, and opens London's Heathrow Airport to more carriers (currently it's limited to United, American, British and Virgin Atlantic).
That means more competition at Heathrow and connections between more cities across the ocean. For example, KLM is likely to replace flight slots at Heathrow currently filled with small turboprop planes flying to Europe with lucrative flights to the U.S.
The agreement should be seen as just a start. The U.S., which wants to protect its strapped carriers, successfully blocked plans to allow foreign airlines to take passengers between points inside the U.S. Imagine how service might change if Americans were allowed to fly British, Air France or Lufthansa from New York to Seattle instead of Delta. Hopefully increased competition across the Atlantic will encourage consumers to support allowing more of it close to home. The next step could be allowing service and price -- not regulations -- to dictate choices.