exactly what the Brits and Frenchies told Washington when somebody
> suggested their Concorde supersonic liners were wasteful and they ought to
> use (comparatively) thrifty Boeings.
The Concorde was never made to be a thrifty plane. At one time, I was told, the flights were profitable because there were plenty of high end customers willing to pay the cost. Whether the project was profitable over the life is questionable.
So many airlines run with losses every year and whether they use Boeing or Airbus seems to make little difference.