yes, I find it the same, I try to use AC and only take westjet if its the last option. I don't care if your staff can sing or be sassy with the safety demo.

Yikes, WJ trimming YUL and slashing YVR. definitely concerning they can't seem to make things work at the #2 and #3 airports in the country.

I fail to see the difference even in service between Air Canada and West Jet. I fly both at about an equal amount, and don't really find that the West Jet demonstrations are "sassy" in any way.

A few months ago I had to decide between an Air Canada flight and a West Jet flight that cost the same and left within 10 minutes of each other. One of the hardest decisions of my life :haha:

I agree completely. How you're treated generally has more to do with how much money you spend on the airline than with which airline you're using. Much like a casino, the 'whales' are looked after well... the people who occasionally play nickel slots, not so much.

The only carrier that I would try my best to avoid based on reputation alone is Europe's Ryanair... that's pretty much it. I find AC and WS pretty well interchangeable in terms of overall service... my experiences have been very positive with both.

Yep. Maybe I'm just less image-conscious, but I don't really see this executive luxury vs non-pretentious split between Air Canada and West Jet. I've always seen them on one level of sense of establishment and "prestige," whatever that even means with airlines.

I mean, the real differences I consider between them is that Air Canada has its own screen, while West Jet makes you use your phone. West Jet gives you crackers, while Air Canada just has a drink. Like, above that, I see no fundamental difference in experience when I fly either one.

“Slashing” might be a bit of an overstatement. They’re terminating MEX and reducing Fort St. John, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and Palm Springs.

YYZ actually sees more reductions. Los Angeles, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Winnipeg, Phoenix, Aruba, Belize, Huatulco and Liberia are all being trimmed from YYZ.

Guess they can’t make it work at the #1, #2 and #3 airports. There’s always lucky number 4!

Come fly with me and I will show you the difference.

Midlevel Elite on AC has the following experience.
- Checkin on your phone with all the tombstone data carried forward from your profile and passport all ready verified.
- get to the airport 1.5 hours before boarding.
- get immediate service from the priority desk.
- Agent says upgrade looks good but will have wait for confirm at the gate.
- Use priority CATSA lane.
- Once through security and customs (if any)( formalities) get to Lounge.
- Agent checks your flight and processes upgrade.
- have an adult bevie and light snacks at the lounge.
- Walk to gate, see that zone 1&2 have all ready boarded. Skip the line and get to board ahead of zone 3.
- Give predeparture bevie request to FA on boarding.
- stow carryon on the overhead bin.
- have a great flight because your half buzzed by the time wheels up.
- have great meal.
- Rest of flight including arrival is pretty much the same.

Same experience as WS Gold:
- Attempt checkin on your phone only to be told that WS can't complete checkin as document check is required. Enter your tombstone information as WS does not retain this information.
- Get to airport 2 hours before boarding because there is no separate checkin lane for Golds. hang out in line for 25 minutes.
- Gate agent advises that other pax have paid to upgrade so non free upgrade today. You pay for exit row seating.
- CATSA priority lane is also family lane (they share a lineup). Wait at security for 15 minutes.
- No lounge wait at airport bar and pay for drinks.
- Get to gate General boarding has all ready commenced.
- Join end of line because gate agent will not recognize your status and let you cut the line.
- Get onboard, No free bevy.
- Inflight have to drink paid beer at start of flight because WS doesn't have refrigeration onboard. Eat cold meal because WS doesn't have ovens onboard either.
- Landing and arrival same as always.

UA, AA, BA and DL have already announced some of their summer 2019 new long haul routes. Still nothing from AC.

You're comparing business classes though. I've only ever flown economy, and I wouldn't be surprised if that will be true by the time I die.

I wouldn't be surprised if there are differences in service between their higher classes, but I can only speak to what I know.

That's not business class, that's an economy ticket for someone with status.

AC is far better for anyone who flies even relatively frequently, or off the continent. WS is fine if you're an occasional sun or domestic flier but falls off very fast after that. Their lack of seatback entertainment is a real deal breaker for me too.

YYZ I believe is also seeing increases not mentioned here. YVR is just straight cuts. They only fly 32 routes out of YVR during the winter period, so cuts to 6 of them is pretty significant, especially given the incredible growth YVR is undergoing right now and WS is going the other way.

Haha the fact that I thought of business class before the tier system (proud West Jet teal member) shows that I am definitely in that second category of traveler. But yeah that's what I was trying to get at in my previous post too. From last August to know I've flown 5 times (a 12 month record for me), well before the point where any services are offered to me. For a traveler like that, I don't see a difference between them where I'd prefer one or the other.

As far as entertainment, I also don't care too much between seatback or off the phone. Maybe it's just my headphones, but my sound has been super finnicky on multiple flights on AC.

No it's not just you, the headphone jacks on the AC narrowbody planes are almost all in bad shape, some don't work at all. It's addressed in the design of the new seatback system on all the widebody planes and the new Maxs and A220s, but the old Airbus don't seem to be getting the replacements yet. It can be really frustrating.

And YEG and YYC and dropping YUL during the winter.

AC usually announces late September, But I doubt it will be anything ground breaking seeing as they mentioned their expansion is coming to an end.

My guess is, Those rouge 767 heading over to YUL/YYZ from YVR will be used to increase routes or maybe add a new one. And 7M8 additions.

There is also 4 333 on the way.... rouge to mainline changes possible?

I hate seat back entertainment. It's rarely reliable. Except when I was on a new ac 787.

I tend to choose westjet over ac because I always end up on an rj with ac. And I just prefer to be on a larger plane. I also got that wj credit card. Which was great at first, but I find that it's affecting my decision making (as it's designed to). I'm more likely to choose a bad itinerary now.

Sadly we don't have the option of mainline WestJet service out of Moncton any more. It was taken away last year when Encore took over the Moncton-Toronto service and WestJet discontinued their seasonal service to Orlando.

Before, if I were heading to western Canada, I would have tended to use WestJet because it would have been 737 service the entire way, but now that both airlines are flying turboprops out of Moncton, it doesn't really matter too much any more.......

Those q400's are about the same as an rj, but they are at least a little newer. But still limited on headspace (and overhead space).

hmmm, hate to say it but with WJ Regina-Orlando seasonal service such a success, I have a feeling I know where your Moncton-Orlando service got sent to...

https://www.aviationpros.com/press_r...rlando-service

Indeed.

Oh well, we still have direct seasonal air service to Orlando from Moncton on both SunWing and Air Transat. :)

http://cyqm.ca/wp-content/uploads/20...eil-dhiver.pdf