Saskatoon and Regina Air Service - Page 65

Missinglink · #**1281** Posted **Jun 30, 2016, 11:17 PM**

As a frequent business traveler and recreational traveler to the USA and beyond, loosing the MSP connection is a horrendous loss. This is such a important connection to gateway airports such as ATL,IAH and MIA. this had the ORD and DEN connections beat hands down. This is going to have serious repercussions on southern Sask. The sad thing is I think the real story is not being told completely.

casper · #**1282** Posted **Jun 30, 2016, 11:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Missinglink

As a frequent business traveler and recreational traveler to the USA and beyond, loosing the MSP connection is a horrendous loss. This is such a important connection to gateway airports such as ATL,IAH and MIA. this had the ORD and DEN connections beat hands down. This is going to have serious repercussions on southern Sask. The sad thing is I think the real story is not being told completely.

To get to ATL, IAH or MIA the options are now YYZ on Air Canada or WestJet. Both as reasonable as YYZ is a good hub for connections to all three of those cities.

Alaska Airlines is making Seattle work as a connecting hub from Calgary or Edmonton. If anyone comes into Regina I think it would Alaska. The SEA connection only works for serving California, the Pacific Northwest or Hawaii.

Seattle does have its problem. Connections in Seattle are pretty good if you are coming from an airport with pre-clearance. If you are clearing customs in Seattle depending on time of day it can be painful. There are a number of widebody flights from Asia or Dubai that generate long lines.

Missinglink · #**1283** Posted **Jun 30, 2016, 11:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

To get to ATL, IAH or MIA the options are now YYZ on Air Canada or WestJet. Both as reasonable as YYZ is a good hub for connections to all three of those cities.

Alaska Airlines is making Seattle work as a connecting hub from Calgary or Edmonton. If anyone comes into Regina I think it would Alaska. The SEA connection only works for serving California, the Pacific Northwest or Hawaii.

Seattle does have its problem. Connections in Seattle are pretty good if you are coming from an airport with pre-clearance. If you are clearing customs in Seattle depending on time of day it can be painful. There are a number of widebody flights from Asia or Dubai that generate long lines.

Sorry Casper but YYZ is a train wreck and AC is nothing but junk wont fly them. Ill go back to driving to Minot , don't like it but did it for years before and willing to do it again. I only have 2yrs left till retirement then its good by Sask.

casper · #**1284** Posted **Jul 1, 2016, 1:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Missinglink

Sorry Casper but YYZ is a train wreck and AC is nothing but junk wont fly them. Ill go back to driving to Minot , don't like it but did it for years before and willing to do it again. I only have 2yrs left till retirement then its good by Sask.

YYZ is the absolute best airport for connections to the US. Automated machines that scan your passport, they automatically pull the hotel address etc from what you entered into Air Canada. Check baggage is automatically transferred. Separate designated US customs officers.

Beats clearing US customs in a US airport.

Vancouver is almost as good, but they don't do the automatic baggage transfer.

Worst airport possible is SEA, or LAX. Customs takes forever. I found the problem with Denver if coming from Saskatoon, the problem is you end up in the general security lineup past customs. It can be a long line and TSA is having a lot of problems during peek periods. MSP is ok with the morning flight and the afternoon flight is ok if does not overlap with a wide body. Otherwise it is painful.

PhotoJim · #**1285** Posted **Jul 1, 2016, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

Worst airport possible is SEA, or LAX. Customs takes forever. I found the problem with Denver if coming from Saskatoon, the problem is you end up in the general security lineup past customs. It can be a long line and TSA is having a lot of problems during peek periods. MSP is ok with the morning flight and the afternoon flight is ok if does not overlap with a wide body. Otherwise it is painful.

Get NEXUS. Then you can use Global Entry at US airports. It'll cost you $50 every 5 years but the savings in time can easily be worth it. It will also mean you don't need to take your passport with you if you cross the Canada/US border by land (and give you priority lanes at busy crossings - I used NEXUS at Detroit/Windsor last month and it saved me an eternity.)

casper · #**1286** Posted **Jul 1, 2016, 7:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhotoJim

Get NEXUS. Then you can use Global Entry at US airports. It'll cost you $50 every 5 years but the savings in time can easily be worth it. It will also mean you don't need to take your passport with you if you cross the Canada/US border by land (and give you priority lanes at busy crossings - I used NEXUS at Detroit/Windsor last month and it saved me an eternity.)

NEXUS only partially helps in Seattle. If your familiar with the airport layout, there is a walkway level above the main concourse where passengers coming off international flights discharge into before going down escalators into the customs hall. Multiple occasions due to congestion I have been held up their for an extended period of time. The Nexus lines does not split off until your downstairs.

I agree NEXUS generally does help.

Brutopian · #**1287** Posted **Jul 2, 2016, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Missinglink

Sorry Casper but YYZ is a train wreck and AC is nothing but junk wont fly them. Ill go back to driving to Minot , don't like it but did it for years before and willing to do it again. I only have 2yrs left till retirement then its good by Sask.

Why would you drive 394 km to Minot from Regina, when you can simply drive 259 km to Saskatoon and catch a direct flight to Minneapolis from YXE?

Missinglink · #**1288** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brutopian

Why would you drive 394 km to Minot from Regina, when you can simply drive 259 km to Saskatoon and catch a direct flight to Minneapolis from YXE?

Either way I would spend a night in hotel to catch the early morning flight, once I have cleared customs driving to Minot the previous evening the next day is a domestic flight. I don't have to worry about making a tight connection. Also in the summer with the time change it allows more options for connections. Then I also have the option of Delta or United depending on where I need to travel for business. This doesn't even take into consideration the gas that I buy for close to half the price even with exchange.

Robag · #**1289** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 7:43 PM**

CTV report on province looking for more flights, specifically Regina.

http://regina.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=903802

Missinglink · #**1290** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 7:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robag

CTV report on province looking for more flights, specifically Regina.

http://regina.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=903802

How long do you think it will take for this airport authority to piss off the next guy that comes in here. Still a bunch of bush league small town boys running this airport.

jmt18325 · #**1291** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 8:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Missinglink

Sorry Casper but YYZ is a train wreck and AC is nothing but junk wont fly them.

I hear people say this all the time, but I've never had a problem with either. Connections at YYZ are so simple it isn't even funny, and I've had about the same experience with Air Canada as Westjet.

esquire · #**1292** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 9:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmt18325

I hear people say this all the time, but I've never had a problem with either. Connections at YYZ are so simple it isn't even funny, and I've had about the same experience with Air Canada as Westjet.

Agreed 100%. I mean, to each their own, if missinglink wants to drive to Minot then by all means, but all I can say is I'd take AC any day over a UA/DL regional even without the multi-hour drive factored into it.

Dalreg · #**1293** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 10:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brutopian

Why would you drive 394 km to Minot from Regina, when you can simply drive 259 km to Saskatoon and catch a direct flight to Minneapolis from YXE?

Because some people willing spite themselves to make a point. At any cost. Maybe he is a wanna be American?

SkydivePilot · #**1294** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 10:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Missinglink

How long do you think it will take for this airport authority to piss off the next guy that comes in here. Still a bunch of bush league small town boys running this airport.

The reasons as to why the American carriers are pulling out is explained on the preceding page here: posting #1269.

one_brick_at_a_time · #**1295** Posted **Jul 4, 2016, 11:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkydivePilot

The reasons as to why the American carriers are pulling out is explained on the preceding page here: posting #1269.

Well said, SkydivePilot

SkydivePilot · #**1296** Posted **Jul 5, 2016, 3:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Well said, SkydivePilot

Thank you sir; that info is from high sources. We won't ever see such reasons/excuses on the media.

CoryB · #**1297** Posted **Jul 5, 2016, 3:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robag

CTV report on province looking for more flights, specifically Regina.

Sorry, how is this really news? Every airport, every day, is actively looking for more flights or ways the better increase their capacity if they are running near their maximum.

SaskScraper · #**1298** Posted **Jul 5, 2016, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robag

CTV report on province looking for more flights, specifically Regina.

http://regina.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=903802

from the CTV video.. did Delta ever operate from Regina to Chicago? I thought it was United..
Kind of a long shot to get Regina as Allegant's first international flight, Allegant is only in America.. WestJet & Air Canada will only funnel YQRs passengers thru YYC or YYZ of which I find Toronto's early morning domestic security line a 2 hour long gong show. Looks like Saskatoon's YXE will be getting majority of my flights especially now with NewLeaf's addition.

jmt18325 · #**1299** Posted **Jul 5, 2016, 5:02 PM**

I think they're changing it so that you don't have to clear security in Toronto when connecting to the US.

I've never waited two hours in line. My combined US customs and security wait was 1 hour...and that was a long line.

Robag · #**1300** Posted **Jul 5, 2016, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

Sorry, how is this really news? Every airport, every day, is actively looking for more flights or ways the better increase their capacity if they are running near their maximum.

It's news when you are losing your last link on an American carrier to the states.