WestJet returns May 15 and could fly to the city year-round
BRUCE BARTLETT
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
SAINT JOHN - WestJet is returning to Saint John Airport May 15, for the third year in a row, with a seasonal schedule of six, non-stop flights a week to and from Toronto.
WestJet flies the Boeing 737, next generation aircraft, in three different sizes, all of which will land in Saint John. WestJet will fly six, non-stop flights a week to and from Toronto.
The plan at the moment is to offer the service until the end of October, said Richard Bartrem, the airline's vice-president culture and communications.
"As we take on more aircraft in the future we start looking towards whether it will be possible to continue year-round," he said from head office in Calgary.
The seasonal offering is a business decision, and if community support grows and the numbers are there, Saint John could become a year-round service, Bartrem said. WestJet moves its fleet around twice each year, when demand for winter flights to the south rises and falls. Each time it looks at the traffic in and out of Saint John, he said.
WestJet only uses Boeing 737, next generation aircraft, in three different sizes, all of which will land in Saint John, depending on sales and scheduling.
"The average age of our fleet would be 3.7 to 3.8 years," Bartrem said. "The bulk of them are what are called the 737, 700 series which has 136 seats, and then we have a larger version and a smaller version."
Saint John will have WestJet service every day except Saturday, with an afternoon flight from Toronto turning around early in the evening.
As a promotion to encourage customers, WestJet is offering a price guarantee to anyone who books a flight out of Saint John this week for travel taking place before the end of June to points west. Some fares are currently as low as $69 one way between Saint John and Toronto. The price guarantee means if the price drops after a booking is made, the customer will get a credit for the difference to be applied against travel over the next 12 months, Bartrem said.
The airline industry is very volatile and WestJet has to make sure it is using its aircraft the best way it can, he said. Moncton has daily year-round service to Toronto and Halifax has several flights a day.
WestJet has been one of the most profitable airlines, on a percentage basis, in North America over the past two years. It manages to do that by keeping a close eye on routes, Bartrem said. For example, the airline has not taken on any European destinations where there are a lot of aircraft competing for customers.
The long-term hope is to increase service to the Maritimes if the demand is there, he said.
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