Atlantic Canada airport thread

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by Arrdeeharharharbour

Don't forget to take your passport, don't pack any liquids, and try not to be one of those rude people who line up prior to their boarding number being called.

Especially if you don't have carry on luggage or need a connection.

However, I will always defend my decision to try to jump zones when traveling far away with 2+ connections. Because if you're zone 5 and there's no carry on space left, I don't trust the bag making it going to my final destination.

Coming home? Don't care if it takes an extra day as I'll be home, so I will wait and take the chance or give it up for the free checked bag option.

[MonctonRad]

I never check any bags - ever!!!!

I have no faith in the baggage handling capability of any airline, foreign or domestic.

I have one carry on bag which can fit under the seat in front of me. I therefore do not impinge upon the overhead bin space of any other passengers seated next to me.

I can live out of this single small bag for a week - no problem. I just wear a heavier set of clothes on the plane, and, wear a jacket as well. This frees up a lot of space in my carry on bag.

[CharlotteCountyLogan]

Thanks everyone. I'm only taking a backpack as it's a 3 day trip.
Have any of you flown Porter? That's the airline we're flying on and I'm wondering if they are good.

[Arrdeeharharharbour]

I wasn't familiar with the term 'zone jumping' and didn't even know it was happening until recently reading a news story about an American airline implementing a system where a bell will sound if a boarding passenger attempts to board prior to their zone being called. Like MonctonRad I never use the overhead bin and given the trouble/delay/behavior problems they cause, I'd be happy if they were eliminated from the industry. I have flown a lot over the years and have never had a lost checked bag. A couple of times due to very tight connections my checked bag has not traveled with me on the connection flight but it was delivered by the airline to my door at my destination within hours and without issue.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by CharlotteCountyLogan

Thanks everyone. I'm only taking a backpack as it's a 3 day trip.
Have any of you flown Porter? That's the airline we're flying on and I'm wondering if they are good.

In many ways, Porter is my preferred airline - free booze!

Seriously, the service is great. The only destinations currently available out of YQM are Ottawa and Billy Bishop, but, if my final destination is Ottawa or downtown Toronto, I would take Porter 100% of the time. Billy Bishop in particular is so damned convenient to downtown TO, and,you get to avoid the 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 which is Toronto-Pearson.

Hopefully we will get a Porter route to YHU (St. Hubert) in 2025. I am highly optimistic.

My airline preferences are:

1) Toronto, Ottawa (and soon Montreal) - Porter.
2) western Canada - WestJet (YQM has year round Calgary and seasonal Edmonton)
3) cross border - Air Canada (via YHZ perhaps, but, more frequent connections and more destinations via YYZ)
3) international - Air Canada (via YYZ, although Europe via YHZ is tempting)

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by CharlotteCountyLogan

Thanks everyone. I'm only taking a backpack as it's a 3 day trip.
Have any of you flown Porter? That's the airline we're flying on and I'm wondering if they are good.

If you're only taking a backpack it'll be very calm. Porter is a decent low cost carrier. Don't expect any hot meals or TV screens. Get a movie or audiobook downloaded for the journey

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

If you're only taking a backpack it'll be very calm. Porter is a decent low cost carrier. Don't expect any hot meals or TV screens. Get a movie or audiobook downloaded for the journey

You forgot the free booze!!!

And, they do throw some crackers or chips in your direction on Porter too.

[lirette]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

You forgot the free booze!!!

And, they do throw some crackers or chips in your direction on Porter too.

Air Canada recently announced free booze in economy class on North American flights. Not sure if it's taken effect or not yet.

[CharlotteCountyLogan]

Thanks everyone. Excited to fly for the first time in multiple years

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by CharlotteCountyLogan

Thanks everyone. I'm only taking a backpack as it's a 3 day trip.
Have any of you flown Porter? That's the airline we're flying on and I'm wondering if they are good.

I flew Freddy to Edmonton by way of Ottawa last Summer on Porter, and the experience was great. Granted my flight out of Fredericton was cancelled due to the snafu they had in late July (the Microsoft security update bug that hosed so many systems). But they got me to Ottawa on the next available flight.

Because of that snafu, I ended up with an 8 hour layover in Ottawa. The airport terminal is nice, with a decent enough variety of places to snack/eat at (granted all with basically the same menu) and various power stations for sitting/standing at and plugging in to while away the time.

I did try to contact my aunt and uncle to have an impromptu visit, but they were out of the city that day. If the LRT was open, I probably still would have left the airport to kill some time (since I know the city and the South Keys area from 20ish years ago), but the LRT is still under construction.

Still, the airport does have regular bus service on the main lines (the 9X-lines that used the Transitway) so you can get into Ottawa's transit network pretty trivially.

So anyways, Ottawa airport is a nice enough place, and Porter IMO is a great airline. (I don't drink so the free booze does nothing for me).

It doesn't matter for the Freddy to Ottawa flight since those use the Dash-8's I think. But for the longer/bigger routes (like Ottawa to Edmonton) they use the EmbraAir jets, and I found them very nice jets, very comfortable, 4 seat rows (no middle seats), with lots of amenities like free WiFi (No Wifi on the Freddy flight but it's only a 60ish minute flight)

Finally, for the Freddy airport, as mentioned it's your standard small city airport. One security checkpoint, a big common waiting area, and no jetways or anything. Only 1 food source that charges an arm and a leg for sandwiches (but it is run by a local cafe company; Chess Piece Patisserie). Still, I'd eat before going to the airport. It's not really a place you spend time in, as you're either arriving or departing; rarely transferring.

Enjoy your trip!

[MonctonRad]

From the main Canada section airport thread

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

WS has requested/obtained slots to operate YYT-DUB in S25.
https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiY...LWM1ZWUtNGNiNy04NzFjLWU4YjI0NWQwYjY3YiJ9

[q12]

^
Non-Stop Paris is back from Halifax starting in May 2025:

This is YHZ's 9th European non-stop scheduled route.





St. John's gains Dublin and Paris:

[sailor734]

Story on the TJ this AM about Air Canada quietly dropping one of the two daily flights to Toronto from Fredericton.

They did however add an additional flight to Montreal. Interesting to read that AC is starting to use Montreal more of a hub for Maritime flights.

https://tj.news/fredericton-west/air-canada-down-to-single-flight-from-fredericton-to-toronto

Kate O’Rourke, a spokesperson for the Fredericton National Airport, confirmed Toronto flights through Air Canada have been reduced from twice daily to one, but that Air Canada added an additional flight to Montreal.

O’Rourke said the changes weren’t spurred from anything from airport’s side in Fredericton, but more of a network need and logistical factors on Air Canada’s side.

“It was just a matter of their network and where they needed planes to be,” she said.

She said airlines have been moving toward larger aircraft with more capacity at less frequency and that the airline appears to be slowly transitioning to using Montreal as an additional central hub for connecting flights along with Toronto.

Air Canada did not return calls for comment or to confirm why it made the changes.

[MonctonRad]

One daily flight from YYZ to YFC is completely unacceptable!

You could end up waiting hours and hours in Toronto for connections!

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

One daily flight from YYZ to YFC is completely unacceptable!

You could end up waiting hours and hours in Toronto for connections!

Sounds like they want to encourage people to connect through YUL instead whenever possible. I used to connect to both Florida and Vancouver through YUL quite a bit and actually preferred it over Pearson. (Less time spent on a cramped commuter aircraft out of YSJ)

[Fischbob]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

One daily flight from YYZ to YFC is completely unacceptable!

You could end up waiting hours and hours in Toronto for connections!

Looks like Fredericton is starting to get the YSJ treatment from Air Canada. At least Porter is still available as an alternative.

BTW, I was browsing flights to Montreal yesterday from all 3 southern NB airports, and return airfares for February/March 2025 are currently clocking in at $650-700+

[Bishop2047]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

Looks like Fredericton is starting to get the YSJ treatment from Air Canada. At least Porter is still available as an alternative.

BTW, I was browsing flights to Montreal yesterday from all 3 southern NB airports, and return airfares for February/March 2025 are currently clocking in at $650-700+

Here is hoping Porter steps up even more to fill the Freddy-TO route needs. The two a days to Toronto is scheduled to be back in the summer but on a Mitsubishi CRJ900 as of now. Much more comfortable plane compared to the 319s, though that is a few less seats.

I have given up on AC doing anything reasonable for Atlantic Canada and see West Jet and Porter continuing to capitalize on AC's poor planning.

[gtsoc]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Sounds like they want to encourage people to connect through YUL instead whenever possible. I used to connect to both Florida and Vancouver through YUL quite a bit and actually preferred it over Pearson. (Less time spent on a cramped commuter aircraft out of YSJ)

I refuse to connect through Pearson anymore. Too many close calls ... even when I had a 2+ hour layover.

Connected through YUL last week to MCO and security/customs took all of ten minutes.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

Looks like Fredericton is starting to get the YSJ treatment from Air Canada. At least Porter is still available as an alternative.

BTW, I was browsing flights to Montreal yesterday from all 3 southern NB airports, and return airfares for February/March 2025 are currently clocking in at $650-700+

This is why keeping Flair around is so important… they have tickets to Toronto (almost twice the distance as YUL from YSJ) for like $80-120 dollars.

Air Canada’s prices to Montreal from the Maritimes are often beyond ridiculous.

I’ve seen round trip prices on flights from YSJ to Calgary for around what they’ll charge for a round trip flight to Montreal.

We need more competition, better regulation, and government subsidies.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by lirette

Air Canada recently announced free booze in economy class on North American flights. Not sure if it's taken effect or not yet.

That’s nice I guess, but kind meh when Air Canada’s prices are so out of whack.