US airlines have higher fares than European ones. US airlines provide poorer service than European ones. The money goes to profits. The enabling factor is lack of competition. [The Economist April 2017]
Often a simple presentation is best. This line chart shows that dramatic difference in profits and it recent increase.
The Economist uses some conventions that support a clean presentation. The year axis is unlabeled. The vertical variable is identified in a subtitle rather than a vertical axis label. This leads to a compact figure without requiring a sideways label. The character of the chart lines and the wide spacing of the points make a vertical grid unnecessary. The two lines are identified with annotation rather than legend.
The other comparisons in the story are simple pairs of numbers. The Economist has chosen wisely to avoid making these unnecessary bar charts.
