Canadian Airport Thread II

[LO 044]

Originally Posted by casper

You end up with that silly multiple boarding pass nonsense at all the major Canadian airports when doing international/US to domestic. The trade off is it avoids extra security checks and allows for automatic baggage transfer.

Not ideal, but better than the alternative.

Hmm I don't remember as much of a hassle at YYZ but maybe my memory jogs me or perhaps YYZ had more than 3 boarding pass scanners. The guy at YVR was asking for boarding passes for your next flight and for boarding passes from the flight you just got off of. We were going from LH to AC. Not sure if AC's domestic wing location just doesn't have enough of these scanners.

Speaking of automatic baggage transfers, that works great assuming you get all your bags. It is amazing that you get by the minute notifications of a gate change or departure time via e-mail and/or text but not if your luggage didn't get to your final destination. For instance, we arrived at YEG and had 1 out of 4 bags missing so you wait at the belt AND THEN you wait in line at the baggage claim. We were then notified at the baggage claim that our one bag was still in Munich. I don't see why AC, WS, LH, etc. can't send out a message like only some of your bags will arrive or just let you know where the bag is more so you don't have to wait for nothing. I'm sure the person at the lost luggage counter might appreciate it too. Maybe some day I guess.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by LO 044

Hmm I don't remember as much of a hassle at YYZ but maybe my memory jogs me or perhaps YYZ had more than 3 boarding pass scanners. The guy at YVR was asking for boarding passes for your next flight and for boarding passes from the flight you just got off of. We were going from LH to AC. Not sure if AC's domestic wing location just doesn't have enough of these scanners.

Speaking of automatic baggage transfers, that works great assuming you get all your bags. It is amazing that you get by the minute notifications of a gate change or departure time via e-mail and/or text but not if your luggage didn't get to your final destination. For instance, we arrived at YEG and had 1 out of 4 bags missing so you wait at the belt AND THEN you wait in line at the baggage claim. We were then notified at the baggage claim that our one bag was still in Munich. I don't see why AC, WS, LH, etc. can't send out a message like only some of your bags will arrive or just let you know where the bag is more so you don't have to wait for nothing. I'm sure the person at the lost luggage counter might appreciate it too. Maybe some day I guess.

AC rolled out baggage tracking capability via their app last December. Initially for domestic flights. US flights should come online this year (if it hasn't already), and over time to select international destinations.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-release...862208565.html

[hollywoodcory]

YYC July 2024 Stats:

Domestic: 1,283,447 -5.2% [YTD: 7,074,170 -0.92%]
Transborder: 427,802 +11.8% [YTD: 2,205,338 +10.76%]
International: 212,809 +7.5% [YTD: 1,429,485 +10.27%]

July 2024 Total: 1,924,058 -0.5%
2024 YTD: 10,708,993 +2.76%

Domestic continues its downward trends, well US/international continue to rise. Pretty big spike in Transborder travelers too. But it wasn't enough to make up for the drop in domestic numbers.

[cranes]

https://www.therecord.com/news/water...0d7908ba0.html
Glitches and confusion plague Air Canada’s shuttle bus out of Waterloo Region
The Air Canada shuttle service that launched in May has been slow to take flight at the Region of Waterloo International Airport
Aug. 17, 2024

...This points to another confusion. The Air Canada website does not describe Landline as free but says “pricing for our bus segments is competitive and dynamic, varying depending on destination and passenger demand.”
Fitzpatrick said “we are in the process of amending our website to state more clearly that there is no additional charge for the Landline product. This should be done in the next few weeks.”
Fitzpatrick declined to specify performance on routes, but said shuttles have carried more than 11,000 passengers. This is a small fraction of available seats since the service launched.
Shuttle traffic is growing each month, the airline said.
“We expected from the outset, based on the experiences of other airlines offering a similar service, that traffic would take time to build,” Fitzpatrick said. “Overall we are satisfied with the reception the Landline service has received.”...

An Air Canada bus at the Region of Waterloo International Airport in May.

[Djeffery]

I have a buddy from work thinking of taking the Landline bus from YKF in a couple weeks for his flight to Europe. I told him to call Air Canada about adding it as I don't think you can just show up at the airport.

[casper]

Originally Posted by LO 044

Hmm I don't remember as much of a hassle at YYZ but maybe my memory jogs me or perhaps YYZ had more than 3 boarding pass scanners. The guy at YVR was asking for boarding passes for your next flight and for boarding passes from the flight you just got off of. We were going from LH to AC. Not sure if AC's domestic wing location just doesn't have enough of these scanners.

Speaking of automatic baggage transfers, that works great assuming you get all your bags. It is amazing that you get by the minute notifications of a gate change or departure time via e-mail and/or text but not if your luggage didn't get to your final destination. For instance, we arrived at YEG and had 1 out of 4 bags missing so you wait at the belt AND THEN you wait in line at the baggage claim. We were then notified at the baggage claim that our one bag was still in Munich. I don't see why AC, WS, LH, etc. can't send out a message like only some of your bags will arrive or just let you know where the bag is more so you don't have to wait for nothing. I'm sure the person at the lost luggage counter might appreciate it too. Maybe some day I guess.

The whole notification thing on AC is just weird. I need to look in my profile to see how to reduce it. I get the SMS and e-mail message, "Thank you for checking in your bag, we have it and will take good care until you get to your destination." Then all the ones about boarding, delays and gate changes. If its a codeshare with united, its double messages from both airlines.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by casper

The whole notification thing on AC is just weird. I need to look in my profile to see how to reduce it. I get the SMS and e-mail message, "Thank you for checking in your bag, we have it and will take good care until you get to your destination." Then all the ones about boarding, delays and gate changes. If its a codeshare with united, its double messages from both airlines.

I flew AC from YVR to YYT and back last month, and I was inundated with messages, I had a total of four flights (YVR - YYZ - YYT), and all of them were delayed. I got the first text on the way to the airport, and they continued on and on from there. I didn't mind the messages, but was not impressed with all four flights being delayed in increments, the delays totalled three hours going east, and two hours going west. Three flights had messages asking you to check your carry-ons if possible because the flights were full. One delay was because the plane's wheels had to cool off, another to wait for a new crew, and another because of a pesky unexplained warning light. The thing that bothered me the most though was that the entertainment systems didn't work properly, or didn't work at all, on every flight, and one flight didn't even have any screens. As compensation on one flight they offered me a 15% discount for a future transaction. I am told that these delays and inconveniences are normal in the industry nowadays, and if that's a problem for you, you'd better just stay home.

[thenoflyzone]

All of this is due to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations. (APPR)

All airlines now have a duty to keep passengers informed and updated every 30 minutes if there is a delay. Personally, I rather get bombarded with dozens of e-mails or texts, vs not getting anything at all, and wonder what is happening.

https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/air-passen...ons-highlights

General information
The regulations require that passengers be informed of their rights in a timely, clear and accessible way. Airlines will have to provide passengers with information in simple, clear and concise language on their terms and conditions of carriage for:

Flight delay or cancellation;
Denial of boarding;
Lost or damaged baggage; and
The seating of children under 14 years of age.
This information will have to be provided electronically and on all travel documents the airline provides to the passenger. This could be done via a hyperlink to the airline's website. Airlines will also be required to make reasonable efforts to ensure that official ticket resellers provide this information to customers.

During a flight disruption
Airlines will be required to keep passengers regularly informed if there is a flight disruption (flight and tarmac delays; flight cancellations; and denials of boarding).

They will have to tell passengers why their flight has been disrupted as soon as is feasible. This information will have to be provided through:

an audible announcement;
a visible announcement, upon request; and
the available communication method the passenger has selected (e.g., email, SMS).
Airlines will have to provide flight status updates every 30 minutes until a new departure time has been confirmed. The airline must offer any new status information to passengers as soon as is feasible, which may be sooner than 30 minutes after the last update.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

YYC July 2024 Stats:

Domestic: 1,283,447 -5.2% [YTD: 7,074,170 -0.92%]
Transborder: 427,802 +11.8% [YTD: 2,205,338 +10.76%]
International: 212,809 +7.5% [YTD: 1,429,485 +10.27%]

July 2024 Total: 1,924,058 -0.5%
2024 YTD: 10,708,993 +2.76%

Domestic continues its downward trends, well US/international continue to rise. Pretty big spike in Transborder travelers too. But it wasn't enough to make up for the drop in domestic numbers.

At the end of the day, domestic is always what makes or breaks YYC. That 5% domestic decrease represents 70,000 passengers. That's huge, and not something you'd expect in July. Even though the WS mechanic strike was over at the end of June, there must have certainly been some knock on effects in the beginning of July. Surely that must be part of the reason for the big drop in passenger numbers.

If this trend continues, looks like YYC will finish the year with little to no gain. Based on my half year summary of Canada's airports from a few pages ago, seems like YEG is in a similar situation.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

At the end of the day, domestic is always what makes or breaks YYC. That 5% domestic decrease represents 70,000 passengers. That's huge, and not something you'd expect in July. Even though the WS mechanic strike was over at the end of June, there must have certainly been some knock on effects in the beginning of July. Surely that must be part of the reason for the big drop in passenger numbers.

If this trend continues, looks like YYC will finish the year with little to no gain. Based on my half year summary of Canada's airports from a few pages ago, seems like YEG is in a similar situation.

Yeah no doubt the WS strike reverberated into the first week of July...heck probably the whole month with people shying away from booking. On top of that YYC and YEG are still feeling the effects of the loss of Lynx probably more than anywhere else in Canada.

[cyeg66]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

If this trend continues, looks like YYC will finish the year with little to no gain. Based on my half year summary of Canada's airports from a few pages ago, seems like YEG is in a similar situation.

Indeed. Some were saying there was a chance YYC *could near 20M pax for 2024. I also contemplated the survivablity of a snowball in hell. Was never gonna happen.

Negative factors:
-big freeze in January that led to countless cancellations.
-reduction in Flair flying vs. 2023.
-Lynx going Tango-Uniform
-Continuing, huge, repercussive effects of AC/QK’s veritable disappearance.
-WS Encore and Engineers’ strikes, mucho cancellations
-YYC’s parallel runway closure/partial closure/cap on movements
-Calgary’s annual billion dollar’s worth hail storm which will hurt WS for the foreseeable future
-other factors that I’m forgetting but I’m late for something so gotta go!

[hehehe]

Originally Posted by cyeg66

Indeed. Some were saying there was a chance YYC *could near 20M pax for 2024. I also contemplated the survivablity of a snowball in hell. Was never gonna happen.

Negative factors:
-big freeze in January that led to countless cancellations.
-reduction in Flair flying vs. 2023.
-Lynx going Tango-Uniform
-Continuing, huge, repercussive effects of AC/QK’s veritable disappearance.
-WS Encore and Engineers’ strikes, mucho cancellations
-YYC’s parallel runway closure/partial closure/cap on movements
-Calgary’s annual billion dollar’s worth hail storm which will hurt WS for the foreseeable future
-other factors that I’m forgetting but I’m late for something so gotta go!

Oh well, there's always 2025

[youngregina]

Originally Posted by cyeg66

Indeed. Some were saying there was a chance YYC *could near 20M pax for 2024. I also contemplated the survivablity of a snowball in hell. Was never gonna happen.

Negative factors:
-big freeze in January that led to countless cancellations.
-reduction in Flair flying vs. 2023.
-Lynx going Tango-Uniform
-Continuing, huge, repercussive effects of AC/QK’s veritable disappearance.
-WS Encore and Engineers’ strikes, mucho cancellations
-YYC’s parallel runway closure/partial closure/cap on movements
-Calgary’s annual billion dollar’s worth hail storm which will hurt WS for the foreseeable future
-other factors that I’m forgetting but I’m late for something so gotta go!

All things considered and still up 2.76% overall is nothing short of remarkable, really.

[whatnext]

Air Canada pilots vote overwhelmingly to strike:

Air Canada pilots, ‘resolved and unified,’ vote for strike. What comes next?
By Uday Rana & Craig Lord Global News
Posted August 22, 2024 3:00 am

Air Canada pilots have voted in favour of a strike if the airline can’t reach a deal with the union, a move that could ground planes and disrupt travel plans for Canadians across the country.

The results released Thursday show 98 per cent of Air Canada pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) took part in the vote and of those participating members, 98 per cent voted in favour of striking....

...When that ends on Aug. 26, a 21-day cooling-off period will begin, after which pilots will be in a legal position to walk off the job in mid-September if the parties haven’t agreed to a new deal by then...

https://globalnews.ca/news/10709086/...t-strike-vote/

[Dominion301]

Pascan are adding a second route out of YHZ this fall. They'll be launching YHZ-YQY on 07OCT24 2x daily on weekdays + 1 weekend roundtrip.

[Fischbob]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Air Canada pilots vote overwhelmingly to strike:

Air Canada pilots, ‘resolved and unified,’ vote for strike. What comes next?
By Uday Rana & Craig Lord Global News
Posted August 22, 2024 3:00 am

Air Canada pilots have voted in favour of a strike if the airline can’t reach a deal with the union, a move that could ground planes and disrupt travel plans for Canadians across the country.

The results released Thursday show 98 per cent of Air Canada pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) took part in the vote and of those participating members, 98 per cent voted in favour of striking....

...When that ends on Aug. 26, a 21-day cooling-off period will begin, after which pilots will be in a legal position to walk off the job in mid-September if the parties haven’t agreed to a new deal by then...

https://globalnews.ca/news/10709086/...t-strike-vote/

It's just AC Mainline/Rouge pilots who will be in a position to strike, correct? So regional ops should be unaffected?

My family and I are booked to fly home September 17th, right after the 'cooling-off' period ends, on AC Express/Jazz. Should I be making contingency plans?

[nname]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

It's just AC Mainline/Rouge pilots who will be in a position to strike, correct? So regional ops should be unaffected?

My family and I are booked to fly home September 17th, right after the 'cooling-off' period ends, on AC Express/Jazz. Should I be making contingency plans?

I suppose there's 72 hours strike notice? Or is that included in the 21 days cool off period?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

It's just AC Mainline/Rouge pilots who will be in a position to strike, correct? So regional ops should be unaffected?

My family and I are booked to fly home September 17th, right after the 'cooling-off' period ends, on AC Express/Jazz. Should I be making contingency plans?

I can't recall what happened during the last AC strike in 1998. Without mainline connectivity a lot of AC Express flights would be pointless.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

It's just AC Mainline/Rouge pilots who will be in a position to strike, correct? So regional ops should be unaffected?

My family and I are booked to fly home September 17th, right after the 'cooling-off' period ends, on AC Express/Jazz. Should I be making contingency plans?

Jazz is a different company. Your flights should still operate.

I’m booked on a FCO-YUL flight on September 18. I might get screwed if the pilots go on strike on the 17th.

Originally Posted by nname

I suppose there's 72 hours strike notice? Or is that included in the 21 days cool off period?

I think it might be included in the 21 days.

There was another article last week mentioning the earliest the pilots could go on strike was september 17. That’s right after the 21 days.

Here’s hoping the article is wrong and it’s 21 + 3.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Jazz is a different company. Your flights should still operate..

Yeah but AC pays Jazz for that flying. Not sure they would continue if they were hemmhoraging money during a strike, particularly as a good chunk of the regional pax are connecting to a mainline flight. There must be some language about it in the Capacity Purchase Agreement between the two.

I'm going to YYZ a couple days after the strike deadline and decided to forego the Aeroplan points in favour of a flight on PD.