Originally Posted by casper (Post 7415456)

I have arrived into Seattle at the same time as multiple Delta International arrivals and the Dubai flight. You get trapped on that overhead walkway area waiting for your flights turn to go down the escalators to join the customs lineup. Until you get down there the lines don't split into Nexus or CDN/US or overseas passport holders. I find it unpredictable. It is either fast or it takes a long-time.

I would agree there are more choices for connecting flights in Seattle if you heading to smaller centers in the US. For me my US destinations are almost always Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and the odd time Miami.

Originally Posted by craneSpotter (Post 7415851)

Don't know about aircraft movements, but for 2015 passengers:

SEA = 42,340,537

YYZ = 41,036,847

Now considering that YYZ is has much higher International numbers than SEA, and that SEA is mostly domestic US traffic - in the context of someone connecting from YYJ via SEA or YVR, to further US destinations...SEA has way more US airports (and frequencies) covered! This was my only point, I just used the size of SEA in comparison to YYZ for a Canadian perspective. YVR has improved with the additions of a few new US destinations, but it cannot hope to match SEA with their Delta&Alaska hubs plus United/American/Southwest/JetBlue etc. and an airport with 40million PAX + a year.

https://www.portseattle.org/About/Pu...s/default.aspx

http://www.torontopearson.com/upload...er_Summary.pdf

Originally Posted by craneSpotter (Post 7415909)

...plus several 'smaller' US centres like Boise, Ft Lauderdale, Fresno, Little Rock, San Antonio etc

Originally Posted by craneSpotter (Post 7415909)

We are lucky then. In the past few years our connections at SEA have been smooth - we always leave YYJ in the early am before 8:30. The last time we connected was very quick - no NEXUS lineups at all after security check, which had TSAPre. Two quick train rides and we were at our gate early.

Smaller US centres? In addition to the US metros you mention, SEA has non-stop service to:

Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Hartford, St. Louis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, Washington DC, Atlanta, Baltimore, Charleston SC, Charlotte NC, Nashville, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Sacramento, Albuquerque, Austin ...and more.

...plus several 'smaller' US centres like Boise, Ft Lauderdale, Fresno, Little Rock, San Antonio etc

As a bonus...SEA has connections to secondary airports in large US metros like Dallas Love field / Long Beach, Santa Ana, Burbank & Ontario in the LA area / Chicago Midway and Oakland & San Jose in the greater SF area.

I fly to the LA area regularly and I have never set foot in LAX! I am told to avoid it at all costs! Also, I find the flight to SEA from YYJ very quick and always on time with Alaska anyway, have not tried Delta yet.

Originally Posted by kxl (Post 7416622)

San Antonio is among the top 10 largest cities in the US ;)

Originally Posted by casper (Post 7414096)

YEG mentality of "I am ok transferring anywhere as long as it is not YYC" is odd.

Originally Posted by kxl (Post 7416622)

San Antonio is among the top 10 largest cities in the US ;)

Originally Posted by yyzer (Post 7418206)

Turkish Airlines is increasing the number of business class seats on their flights to YYZ.... :)

http://www.travelweek.ca/news/connec...ss-travellers/

Originally Posted by rbt (Post 7418158)

I think it's a distance/supporting the competitor thing. I know plenty of people in Montreal (most coworkers, so the sample randomness is poor) who will do anything to avoid a transfer a YYZ, including taking longer or more expensive flight-plans. I assume that first hop just feels like a waste of time because it's so much time on the ground versus in the air.

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone (Post 7418247)

Makes sense. The A333 used on YUL has 29 J seats, while the B77W to YYZ had 28. It was about time they bring in a higher J seat B77W to YYZ.

85% connecting passengers. That's insane. TK can make it work though due to their lower operating costs compared to the European legacies. (30% lower than LH and BA, double that compared to AF)

it is a known fact that TK's international network is not profitable. TK uses profits from domestic and European routes to maintain their long-haul network.

One thing is for sure, demand to Turkey has dropped. UA came and went, so did Transat. IB is axing MAD-IST, Delta suspended the already seasonal JFK-IST. At least TK can rely on all these connections to fill up their planes.

85% connections, plus an average load factor of 78% to North America. It's not hard to see why yields are trash on TK long haul.

I wonder how AC is doing on YYZ-IST. Something tells me it's not high on the list of profitable routes to Europe.

In general, it's going to be a tough summer for long haul to Europe !

Originally Posted by casper (Post 7418301)

Must drive airline executives in Dubai up the wall. Turkish cam later, is playing by the rules and slowly getting more flights into Canada.

Originally Posted by yyzer (Post 7419609)

Looks like China Southern Airlines have finally received permission for their CAN-YYZ flights. Reservations were opened today for flights, effective Aug 3...

Planned schedule as follows.

CZ311 CAN1430 – 1730YYZ 77W x246
CZ312 YYZ0130 – 0500+1CAN 77W x357

http://airlineroute.net/2016/04/25/cz-canyyz-aug16/

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie (Post 7418020)

With the summer season about to officially kick off... let's say 1 May (BA 388)
I was looking over my notes and realised this has to be the largest increase in new routes/upgauges etc for as long as I remember. It's getting to the point of almost overwhelming.

But here goes as as brief a summary as possible compared to last summer.

This is changes only.

INTERNATIONAL

Air Canada

GAINS
ICN from 788 to 789
NRT from 788 to 77W
PVG from 788 to 77W
KIX increases from 5 to 6 weekly
DUB **new** 3 weekly rouge 763
LHR additional daily flight on a 788 - so double daily 77W/788
BNE **new** daily 788
PVR **new* once weekly rouge 763
PEK increased capacity from a 77W to a HD 77W
SYD increased capacity from a 77L to a HD 77L
LOSSES
SJD weekly 319 discontinued

China Airlines
TPE daily 744 for the entire summer - plus-
Frequency increase to 11 weekly for a longer period this summer.

Korean Air
ICN from 744 to 748

China Southern
CAN from 788 to 77W

British Airways
LHR from 12 weekly 744 to daily 388 (capacity reduction)

Lufthansa
MUC from daily 333 to 5x weekly 346 / 2x weekly 333

Air China
PEK Frequency increase for 2x daily for longer period this summer

KLM
AMS from daily 333 to daily 772

All Nippon
HND from 788 to 789

Qantas
SYD 3 weekly on 744 for a longer run this summer

EVA Air
TPE 5x weekly compared to 4x weekly last summer

Aeromexico
MEX daily 73W/73H mix

Westjet
LGW **new** 6 weekly 763

Xiamen
XMN **new** 3 weekly 788

Philippines
MNL reduced from 11 weekly to 7 weekly 77W (capacity reduction)

Air Transat
LGW increased from 6 weekly to daily 332
FCO **new** one weekly 332

Condor
FRA increased from 4 to 5 weekly 763

Transborder changes - not in depth
AC new routes to SJC, SAN and ORD. EWR goes to a 788 from 319. LAX, ANC and SFO de-rouged. SEA/PDX to be all DH4.
WS new route to SAN. LIH and KOA dropped in favour of more OGG/HNL.
AS LAX dumped and mainline added to SEA.

Domestic changes - not in depth
WS new routes to YHM, YQU and YHZ.