Quote:
Originally Posted by zahav
Interesting, the YVR-CTS addition is certainly a surprise for me (I obviously did not watch or read the Investor report, since it did mention it as a possibility). I hope it does well, but sounds more like a filler route that could come and go easily if something else comes up. I would think year-round KIX would have taken priority over this, given Osaka's size and importance. I wouldn't think the novelty of being the only non-stop from the Americas to CTS would be enough, but AC must know something more (at least I hope they do). Speaking of KIX, does anyone remember what the seasonal start and end dates were last year for YVR-KIX and YYZ-KIX? This year YVR-KIX runs from Mar. 1 to Nov. 29, and YYZ-KIX runs from Jun. 2 to Oct. 22? I didn't realize the routes had such different durations. Regardless, Mar. 1-Nov. 29 seems quite long for "summer seasonal", with 9 out of 12 months served 4x weekly, AC should have just upped it to year round instead of adding CTS. But there you go!
I have to admit, there's been some pretty funky routes announced by both AC and WS over the last year. My biggest surprises were-
YHZ-BRU, CPH, and MAD
YUL to PMI and CTA
YYC to GRU
YVR-CTS
Then there's routes I considered more likely to be operating, yet aren't:
-YVR-DXB
-YVR-MEL
-YVR-NGO
-YYC-PVG
-YYC-PEK
-YYC-HKG
-YYC-DXB
-YYZ-BOM
-all major airports (YVR, YYC, YYZ, YUL) to mainland China
I'm happy airport across the country are getting fun new routes this year, just some stand out as surprising choices when there's seemingly more "deserved" routes without service. I know there's reasons, just still surprising.
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Notice how most of the "deserved" routes you mention are extremely long flights.
Now look at your list of "funky" flights. For the most part (except YYC-GRU), they are much shorter. Why is that you think?
None of those routes, save for YYC-GRU are funky.
Halifax-Europe makes sense, in the context that WS has no spare 787s in the summer, and sending 737s to Europe, a tourist hotbed and money printing continent at the moment, is the right move, and the only move they can make to tap into that market without additional 787s. Plus it avoids a huge backtrack to YYZ/YUL for Nova Scotia originating passengers wanting to go to Europe. The premium for a non stop to Europe from YHZ is worth it, knowing this. So there is nothing funky about Halifax-Europe, once you take into account all of these factors.
A bit of the same for YUL to the Mediterranean. Closest AC hub to Europe, within range of the XLR. So starting secondary/tertiary markets to Europe from YUL makes sense.
YVR-CTS also makes sense, in the context that demand to Japan is booming right now. It's a relatively short route, unserved from North America, and YVR is well placed to capture 6th freedom traffic from all the continent to CTS. Plus the route will most likely be an -XLR route in the near future, which will help keep costs in check if demand is lower than expected.
The only one that is funky is YYC-GRU. Very long flight, not much O&D at YYC (less than 10,000), not well timed for feed from Asia. Not well located to capture 6th freedom traffic from the biggest markets in the US to Brazil. So overall, it's a wrong decision by WS to launch this route. Then again, WS has been making wrong decisions lately. The whole 737 seat pitch fiasco was another wrong decision.
We're quite a few ppl on airliners (some of which are well respected) that are/were skeptical when WS announced GRU. That's not nothing. Might the route succeed? Sure. But there was lower hanging fruit for WS to grab. They chose the one at the top of the biggest tree in the garden.
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