Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW/CYOW)

[RomanR27]

Originally Posted by fanofYOW

Wasn't it the 788? Or am I mistaken?

I think it might have been a mix of both? The 333 was definitely loaded in for a stretch though.

On a separate note, flew out Friday and the construction walls are down around gate 14, with a sterile corridor between gate 14 and the TB side of gate 13. The wooden accents look sharp.



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[YOWflier]

Originally Posted by RomanR27

I think it might have been a mix of both? The 333 was definitely loaded in for a stretch though.

On a separate note, flew out Friday and the construction walls are down around gate 14, with a sterile corridor between gate 14 and the TB side of gate 13. The wooden accents look sharp.



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Here's what that looked like in Nov. 2024:

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by fanofYOW

Wasn't it the 788? Or am I mistaken?

Was going to be 788 from late-March to late May as the 763 replacement and then 333 for the peak summer months.

The reconfigured/renovated gate 14 area looks nice. Thank goodness the wall last year was only temporary.
Today’s departure count: 83

Sun flights count (both transborder & international): 10

Today's cancellation count (so far): 2

[Dominion301]

With the switchover to the summer schedule, while LHR increases to 4x weekly, there’s no Sunday departure. Currently FIN 932, a standard livery 333 is scheduled to operate AC 889/888 tomorrow.

[Richard Eade]

WOW. I can’t believe that Air France is filling planes. I just looked for 1-way flights from Ottawa to Paris near the end of July. Air France is a shade under $2,000 per person – economy. That is a direct flight, but a bounce through Toronto (Porter to Toronto, Air Transat to Paris) is just over $540. I have a group of 9, so guess which I will be choosing? I’d like to support a flight direct from Ottawa, but not at almost 4 times the price.

[RomanR27]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

WOW. I can’t believe that Air France is filling planes. I just looked for 1-way flights from Ottawa to Paris near the end of July. Air France is a shade under $2,000 per person – economy. That is a direct flight, but a bounce through Toronto (Porter to Toronto, Air Transat to Paris) is just over $540. I have a group of 9, so guess which I will be choosing? I’d like to support a flight direct from Ottawa, but not at almost 4 times the price.

Standard behaviour for legacy carriers unfortunately, pricing a one-way more than a round trip on international flights. I can see on Google Flights that round trips around the end of July are as low as ~$1300. If I filter Transat/Porter on Google Flights and remove the nonstop filter, I see prices are about the same or greater than the nonstop AF round trip. Assuming you're looking for one-way since you want to come home from a different city than Paris, I believe doing multi-city bookings will give you the round trip price on both legs. Though if your second city is London, you can do the direct LGW-YOW flight home anyways.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by RomanR27

Standard behaviour for legacy carriers unfortunately, pricing a one-way more than a round trip on international flights. I can see on Google Flights that round trips around the end of July are as low as ~$1300. If I filter Transat/Porter on Google Flights and remove the nonstop filter, I see prices are about the same or greater than the nonstop AF round trip. Assuming you're looking for one-way since you want to come home from a different city than Paris, I believe doing multi-city bookings will give you the round trip price on both legs. Though if your second city is London, you can do the direct LGW-YOW flight home anyways.

I was surprised at this as well though I guess, as mentioned, this is common with legacy carriers. We wanted to fly into Paris and out of London, a common itinerary I would imagine. Unfortunately, we had to come back to Paris or else it was going to be significantly more expensive for that one way trip. Luckily, Eurostar is a nice way to travel between the cities. I wonder if we would see one way prices drop if more discount carriers to Paris out of Ottawa?

[YOWhopeful]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

I was surprised at this as well though I guess, as mentioned, this is common with legacy carriers. We wanted to fly into Paris and out of London, a common itinerary I would imagine. Unfortunately, we had to come back to Paris or else it was going to be significantly more expensive for that one way trip. Luckily, Eurostar is a nice way to travel between the cities. I wonder if we would see one way prices drop if more discount carriers to Paris out of Ottawa?

You don’t have to book one-way tickets. AF offers multidestination itineraries. It’s an app (or website) feature. You can land in one airport and leave from another whether withon Europe or not. I have done this many times to LHR, BCN, ATH, FCO on the way there and back from CDG or other airport back to YOW.

[RomanR27]

The first A330 service on LHR, AC889 currently set for an on time arrival at about 1225 into YOW, on an aircraft still in the toothpaste livery.

AC889 is full in Y, 17/31 J and 23/24 PY. Tonight's AC888 is lighter at 7/31 J and 15/24 PY.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

WOW. I can’t believe that Air France is filling planes. I just looked for 1-way flights from Ottawa to Paris near the end of July. Air France is a shade under $2,000 per person – economy. That is a direct flight, but a bounce through Toronto (Porter to Toronto, Air Transat to Paris) is just over $540. I have a group of 9, so guess which I will be choosing? I’d like to support a flight direct from Ottawa, but not at almost 4 times the price.

Just wondering. So your arrival point is CDG. What’s your return point?

Like others have mentioned, AF do multi city round trip itineraries. I too have done this. You just select it “multi-city” from the drop down menu.

LHR also moves twice weekly to an 1855 departure time.

Today’s departure count: 88

Sun flights count (both transborder & international): 12

Today's cancellation count (so far): 0

[JonToms]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

WOW. I can’t believe that Air France is filling planes. I just looked for 1-way flights from Ottawa to Paris near the end of July. Air France is a shade under $2,000 per person – economy. That is a direct flight, but a bounce through Toronto (Porter to Toronto, Air Transat to Paris) is just over $540. I have a group of 9, so guess which I will be choosing? I’d like to support a flight direct from Ottawa, but not at almost 4 times the price.

Richard, one way I get around these legacy carriers rules and regulations is to use WestJet. They still offer one-way flights on their whole network, without adding a premium, rather than just within North America or to the Caribbean. In other words, you can book a one-way flight to say Paris for often half the price of a regular return ticket. As you noted the one-way ticket, say on a legacy carrier like Air Canada, can often be just as expensive as a return ticket. I know coming from Ottawa and trying to use WestJet for a European flight will be a little convoluted as you would have to connect in Toronto or through Toronto and Halifax, but it might save you money if you were travelling with a big group. I have used this also for WestJets Asia flights when Air Canada was quoting thousands of dollars for a one-way ticket from Tokyo to Halifax. WestJet was less than half the price of Air Canada.

[MountainView]

Maybe not the "right" forum for this, but here we go:

• Legacy carriers and even others, will inflate their tickets for one-way flights versus RT flights.
  
  - if you want to fly into Paris CDG and go to Disney Paris with your kids, but take a train to Denmark to visit LegoLand and fly home via CPH, use the multi-city tool on Google Flights OR on the airline's booking page.
  
  - your $2k plus oneway will turn into a $1200 RT via multi-city but connecting via CDG for Air France (as an example)
  
  
• I will personally pay $1-500 more not to do some insane routing via 3 cities to get where I want to go.
  - You're taking a group booking, but you can get where you want to go in 9 hours versus 16... and everyone is paying individually... suddenly the $2,000 difference in price turns into $150-200 each, which (again in my opinion) is worth it.

I've done the "group of friends meet in European City" a few times... and it's always the few who fly for 18 hours and 4 flights to get to the destination that are tired for the first 2 days, whereas the others who just booked a flight and spent the extra $100 are having a great time at the destination with less jetlag.

As an aside, if you look when AC flies LHR-YOW in the summer, you can get some Star A* connections (Eurowings) | (or even via British Airways partnership) via LHR to Ottawa for not much more $$$ than a multi city connection. I.e., DUS-LHR-YOW for $50 more than/ instead of DUS-ZRH-YUL-YOW or DUS-FRA/MUC-YUL/YYZ-YOW. There is also via CDG for lots of this too.

[Richard Eade]

Yes, this is not the thread for this, but I wanted to say Thanks, everyone, for suggestions. Yes, Return or Multi-City both take the trans-Atlantic portion back to about $1,200-$1,300, using either London or Paris, or both. Since I am turned off AC, I would go AF – even if it is a little bit more in cost. The Eurostar would make a ‘fun’ connection between London and Paris. (And we can get from London to Disneyland Paris, with a transfer, to see the newly opened Land of Frozen – yes, I’m traveling with teen girls.)

Interestingly, when I add the trip from Paris to Split, and back to London from Dubrovnik, the Multi-City price jumps to almost $4,000. Yet, booking those flights separately, adds about $700, total.

Trying to arrange a tour for a group is ‘complex’. Some want Paris, some Disneyland Paris, some Bike & Boat in Croatia, some London, and some Munich. Lots of permutations and combinations to go through.

I do appreciate all the advice I have gotten. It helps guide me through the ‘weeds’.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

Yes, this is not the thread for this, but I wanted to say Thanks, everyone, for suggestions. Yes, Return or Multi-City both take the trans-Atlantic portion back to about $1,200-$1,300, using either London or Paris, or both. Since I am turned off AC, I would go AF – even if it is a little bit more in cost. The Eurostar would make a ‘fun’ connection between London and Paris. (And we can get from London to Disneyland Paris, with a transfer, to see the newly opened Land of Frozen – yes, I’m traveling with teen girls.)

Interestingly, when I add the trip from Paris to Split, and back to London from Dubrovnik, the Multi-City price jumps to almost $4,000. Yet, booking those flights separately, adds about $700, total.

Trying to arrange a tour for a group is ‘complex’. Some want Paris, some Disneyland Paris, some Bike & Boat in Croatia, some London, and some Munich. Lots of permutations and combinations to go through.

I do appreciate all the advice I have gotten. It helps guide me through the ‘weeds’.

You had mentioned 9 people. Is that you + 9 for a group of 10 people? Often airlines, including AF offer group discounts for 10 or more people at prices you won’t find online. Travel agents can also often do the same thing & get you YOW-Europe direct without a YYZ backtracking hassle.

AF’s group rates include one 23 kg checked bag per person: https://wwws.airfrance.ca/en/information/passagers/voyager-en-groupe

[Dominion301]

Today’s departure count: 81

Sun flights count (both transborder & international): 11

Today's cancellation count (so far): 0

[Dominion301]

Today’s departure count: 79

Sun flights count (both transborder & international): 9

Today's cancellation count (so far): 1

[Dominion301]

Today’s departure count: 91

Sun flights count (both transborder & international): 12

Today's cancellation count (so far): 0

There's also a WS ferry to YYZ - WS 4113 at 1500. I'm guess that's one of the two based Sunwing birds?

AF327 is on 17B today, AC 345 is on 28 and early (1855 departure) AC 888 is on 15B.

[RomanR27]

AC889 was 21/31 J, 21/24 PY yesterday. Today it's full in Y, and 10/30 J and 19/24 PY.

AC888 last night (which was delayed until after midnight) was 21/24 PY and 19/31 J. AC888 tonight is full in PY and 26/31 J.

Edit: looks like today was the last YOW-PUJ on AC of the season. Monday is the last day of sun service altogether.

[Dominion301]

We had two diversions last night.
1) AC 146 YYC-YYZ departed at 0030. It was a 77L!
2) WS 594 YYC-YHM that departed at 2330

Today’s departure count: 91

Sun flights count (both transborder & international): 13

Today's cancellation count (so far): 2

[solo748]

Originally Posted by RomanR27

AC889 was 21/31 J, 21/24 PY yesterday. Today it's full in Y, and 10/30 J and 19/24 PY.

AC888 last night (which was delayed until after midnight) was 21/24 PY and 19/31 J. AC888 tonight is full in PY and 26/31 J

Your anecdotal load reports (which include UG/staff travel etc) scream just how great the XLR would be on YOWLHR daily or 6x/wk
I hope AC don't run XLR to FRA which will cannibalize CDG

10-12 weekly combined to LHR and CDG is a sweet spot IMO