YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[ACT7]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Could it have something to do with AF launching YVR and/or AC introducing the 458 seater B77W on YVR-LHR a few years ago?



One has nothing to do with the other. Even if CA was already serving YYZ, now that AC and CA are joining forces with the JV, YUL was a given.

Even Hainan showed interest in YUL, so it was in CA's interest to launch YUL if it didn't want to get duped twice.

CA would not have been able to serve YUL from PEK if they were already serving YYZ. Hainan beat them to it. Do you mean AC would have started YUL-PEK? I honestly doubt that would have happened.

[CareerShow]

While BA may be decreasing their capacity I would argue it is an upgrade in product. 3 3 3 seating in economy, as well as newer business/first class service will be much nicer to fly in.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by CareerShow

While BA may be decreasing their capacity I would argue it is an upgrade in product. 3 3 3 seating in economy, as well as newer business/first class service will be much nicer to fly in.

Yes, like most 744 fleets they would be starting to get a bit tired.

I still wouldn't be surprised if the go double daily 772 (ie increase from 12 to 14 weekly). Especially with VS out of the picture.

[stiffdeadman]

Originally Posted by Cage

BA fleet composition is fine. However the impending introduction of WS onto western canada to LGw is going to push down yields on London destined market. Even WS rumoured 3x week YEG-LGW will impact YVR. Toss in the possibility at least 2 other weekly flights might originate in YYC and BA is in a spot of trouble.

BA basically has three choices, fight and depress yields (hoping AC blinks before BA), flight and drop the market, or drop the economy seats and focus on premium end of the market.

For YVR avgeeks, atleast BA has the option of smaller, airplanes. I fear that BA will pull out of YYC market.

BA will be fine. We used to have Thomas Cook running A330's almost daily from Gatwick as well as some flights to Manchester, a few years ago, and BA still had there double daily 747's flying in no problem. They pulled out and Air Transat was supposed to pick up the slack, but never really did as they are an Eastern Canada first airline and westerners know it. All those European tourists won't touch Westjet either.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by stiffdeadman

BA will be fine.

I think so too! At least at YVR. YYC is another matter.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by stiffdeadman

BA will be fine. We used to have Thomas Cook running A330's almost daily from Gatwick as well as some flights to Manchester, a few years ago, and BA still had there double daily 747's flying in no problem. They pulled out and Air Transat was supposed to pick up the slack, but never really did as they are an Eastern Canada first airline and westerners know it. All those European tourists won't touch Westjet either.

Actually Air Transat runs six weekly LGW - YVR, twice weekly MAN - YVR and once weekly GLA - YVR in the summer. Much slower in winter of course but next winter they are ramping up LGW - YVR to twice weekly in late winter.

I agree with your assessment of Westjet though. Not that Europeans won't touch it but they will have an uphill battle with brand recognition. I don't know how well they are going on the new GLA and DUB runs on the 73Hs out of Eastern Canada but perhaps that's a start.

[Valley_Refugee]

With WestJet's international push, I've thought recently that it's time for a rebranding - something that ties it to Canada. WestJet doesn't mean anything outside of Canada. Canadian Airways perhaps?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Valley_Refugee

With WestJet's international push, I've thought recently that it's time for a rebranding - something that ties it to Canada. WestJet doesn't mean anything outside of Canada. Canadian Airways perhaps?

interesting !! That very same thought was going through my mind, too. Even WestJet Canda, with green and yellow maples, for that matter.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by stiffdeadman

BA will be fine. We used to have Thomas Cook running A330's almost daily from Gatwick as well as some flights to Manchester, a few years ago, and BA still had there double daily 747's flying in no problem. They pulled out and Air Transat was supposed to pick up the slack, but never really did as they are an Eastern Canada first airline and westerners know it. All those European tourists won't touch Westjet either.

Thomas Cook brought British tourist to Vancouver area for their annual summer vacation using a package tours. Air Transat took Canadians on European package tour vacation. The two charter airlines never really competed with each other or with major airlines.

Thomas Cook pulled out of YVR market about the time the Canadian dollar strengthened against all currencies. The high CAD impacted profitability of packaged tours. Additionally the slump in European economy made package tours to Spain, Italy, and Greece very cheap, the package tour market followed the cheap vacations.

If Westjet vacations were able to put together package tours for European travel agents to sell to their clients, then I can European tourist market flying WS.

Bottom line, don't under estimate the game changer that is WS widebody. The introduction of WS 763 will have a much bigger impact than WS Encore. Some international airlines will stay and fight for market share, but others will exit certain Canadian markets if the losses are too high or if assets can be redeployed for better results.

[casper]

Air Transat has a significant marketing arm in the UK called Canadian Affair. I don't think WestJet is going to reach that scale over night.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Affair

[Cage]

Originally Posted by casper

Air Transat has a significant marketing arm in the UK called Canadian Affair. I don't think WestJet is going to reach that scale over night.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Affair

Canadian affair is a separate company that has sold charter flights to Canada on a number of airlines. Previous to Air Transat, Canadaian Affair contracted with sky service, and Canada3000 among others.

Although owned by TransAt Group, Canadian Affair is separate managed company with its own management largely kept to themselves.

I fully trust the British operators of Canadian Affair would take WestJets phone call and talk about doing business together. If for no other reason than WS and group Transat have a common enemy, Air Canada rouge. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Valley_Refugee

With WestJet's international push, I've thought recently that it's time for a rebranding - something that ties it to Canada. WestJet doesn't mean anything outside of Canada. Canadian Airways perhaps?

I don't think Westjet should do a rebrand, it would just be a great waste of money and they would give back a lot of goodwill and brand awareness they have built up over the past 18 years at home and throughout th USA.

Also Westjet can't do a maple leaf on their Tail or elsewhere on their aircraft, save for a Canadian flag which is all ready on the back end of the airplAne. Anything else with a maple leaf and AC would have WS in court for years.

Much easier approach for WS is to proceed with their present branding and explain their value proposition (service, price, history, etc.) from a position of strength of the current Westjet brand.

[Cage]

Home town airline route rag is reporting a nice uptick in AC YVR-PEK seats:

Air Canada in the second-half of winter season is boosting capacity on Vancouver – Beijing, as the daily service being operated by Boeing 777-300ER, starting 28JAN16. The 777 aircraft will be replacing 787-8.

AC029 YVR1250 – 1600+1PEK 77W D
AC030 PEK1740 – 1205YVR 77W D

http://airlineroute.net/2015/07/06/ac-yvrpek-feb16/

[trofirhen]

Recently read that YVR got Best Airport award for the sixth year in a row. Great!! Nore more need be said, really.
However, passing through SFO in January, I was either looking for a pay phone and could find one and/or had no change. I had a long layover, and needed to phone family, and call a taxi.
Anyway, as soon as I had cleared customs, I was instantly, and warmly, directed to a "courtesy phone." Free even over area code lines in the Bay Area.
I don't recall noticing that at Vancouver, and might be worth adding to the YVR customer service repetoire.
Hey, YVR is already number one (again), the terminal is beautiful and adapted, and the customer service is the best. But let's not get smug.
There are touches YVR can add that other airports already have, as stated.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Valley_Refugee

With WestJet's international push, I've thought recently that it's time for a rebranding - something that ties it to Canada. WestJet doesn't mean anything outside of Canada. Canadian Airways perhaps?

we had canadian airlines before air canada swallowed them up

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Recently read that YVR got Best Airport award for the sixth year in a row. Great!! Nore more need be said, really.
However, passing through SFO in January, I was either looking for a pay phone and could find one and/or had no change. I had a long layover, and needed to phone family, and call a taxi.
Anyway, as soon as I had cleared customs, I was instantly, and warmly, directed to a "courtesy phone." Free even over area code lines in the Bay Area.
I don't recall noticing that at Vancouver, and might be worth adding to the YVR customer service repetoire.
Hey, YVR is already number one (again), the terminal is beautiful and adapted, and the customer service is the best. But let's not get smug.
There are touches YVR can add that other airports already have, as stated.

i used toronto terminal 3 last week, the us departures was awful, one crappy duty free store, no newstore like hudson news to buy some pop or snacks, three overpriced restaurants, 12.99 for a basic sandwich, one starbucks, not even a tim hortons, the security area is small and bare

arriving back was not much better, the guy sent me to the wrong line in customs, i siad i have a connection in 20 minutes so the next guy said ok go here and let me bypass and pass through for non canadian passport holders, this part of the terminal was slightly better, was at least a small newstand place to buy a pop and a small snack but not many food options at all and what was "under construction" didn't look too promising

now laguardia, yikes

makes me realize just how great YVR is and why it keeps winning awards

[trofirhen]

I like the Canada Goose design on the tail of Canadian. Stays within our boundaries of National Symbols, yet gets away from the hackneyed maple leaf thing. (not that I don't love our flag).

[connect2source]

If WestJet expands much more internationally they'll run into the same identity issues as CP Air did which was a huge catalyst in their decision to go back to the Canadian Pacific moniker in 1986. Shortly after, of course, if was changed to Canadi>n following it's purchase by PWA in Alberta.

WestJet's presence in Canada far outweighs it's international one for now but I'll be curious to see what happens down the road and their brand makes little sense even in Eastern Canada

[ACT7]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

makes me realize just how great YVR is and why it keeps winning awards

Overall I like YVR, but one THE stupidest things about the airport - and it seems to be the only airport on earth that does this - is that if you are eligible to go through the Fast Track security line-up because of your airline status, and you have a travel companion with you, they are not allowed to go through with you unless you each get some silly sticker on your boarding pass by the airline that just says 'YVR'. Somehow, that validates the fact that someone who's traveling with you is now okay to go through the fast track lane. Dumbest system I've ever seen. If it's meant to make the process more efficient, it doesn't - you have to go back to the airline counter and wait in line just to get a sticker.

The bigger issue for me was the smug-ass response from the airport authority. Their answer as to why they handle things this way was "why not - we're a top 5 airport". Not really sure what the hell that means exactly because if they're referring to size, it's barely top 30 in NA, let alone the world, so I assume they're referring to their "quality" ranking. Still, a ridiculous policy with a more ridiculous response.

[Cage]

- the only year-round, non-stop flights between Canada and the capital city of Queensland,
- a major business hub and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Australia's Gold Coast,
- Complements Air Canada's year-round, daily non-stop flights to Sydney, Australia.
VANCOUVER, July 8, 2015 /CNW/ - Air Canada today announced the addition of new non-stop flights from Vancouver to Brisbane, Australia. Flights to Brisbane will initially operate three times weekly using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners beginning June 17, 2016, with the intention to increase to daily service, subject to obtaining the necessary government approvals.

"Air Canada continues to strategically expand its international network with the addition of our second Australian destination - Brisbane, capital of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. The new route increases our presence in the Asia-Pacific market at a time when trade and travel in the region and between North America is growing, with a further boost expected from the Trans-Pacific Partnership now under negotiation. Already, Air Canada commits $2 billion worth of aircraft to the Pacific market each day and Brisbane is the third new Pacific route we have announced in the past year, after Toronto-Tokyo Haneda and Vancouver-Osaka," said Calin Rovinescu, Air Canada President and CEO, who is participating today in the 2015 Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum in Vancouver.

"We will be offering the only non-stop, year-round flights from Canada to Brisbane, a financial hub as well as a tourism gateway to Australia's Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef, using our Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The operating economics of the Dreamliner together with the efforts of the Vancouver Airport Authority who have maintained airport operating costs at levels among the lowest in Canada, have enabled us to grow our Vancouver hub," concluded Mr. Rovinescu.

Air Canada looks forward to working with the Queensland Government, tourism partners from both countries and Brisbane Airport to promote the new route.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1567787/...e-to-its-expanding-international-network