YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[SpongeG]

i sat next to the window and kept it open the whole time

[zivan56]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

I read recently that due to the new electronic windows, when the plane's interior is in 'sleep mode' the windows will be restricted as well which should help. A plane with no windows at all in the cabin would be kinda scary..

Well ok I was exaggerating a bit. Something should be in place to make sure windows are all down when it is "nap time." This sounds like a good solution.
If someone wants to enjoy the full effects of jet lag, then they are free to go to the bulkhead sections of the plane behind the curtains to look outside without bothering everyone else.

[SpongeG]

yah but on a 90 minute flight to california?

its different with overseas travel - i don't get people who leave it down on short flights

[Yume-sama]

When I go to Japan I never sleep, but during "sleep time" the flight attendants come through and ask people to close their windows, they even have a big long pole that they use to reach over and close the window if you are sleeping And who dares argue with a cute Japanese flight attendant with a long metal pole. Plus, everybody has a personal TV set with a variety of "outside view" cameras, front, below, sometimes tail.

I think I would probably only sleep if I went YVR - Sydney (16.5 hours), the long way. And didn't connect in Tokyo or Singapore for a few days

[Waders]

No book allowed? And what is 'a special-needs item'?

Source: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/st...flights_091228/20091228?hub=TopStoriesV2

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Mon. Dec. 28 2009 10:31 PM ET

Mounties are now helping to ease commuter chaos at Canada's major airports, as airline officials enact tough new restrictions for flights headed to the U.S.

Transport Minister John Baird called the RCMP Sunday night, and asked that officers be stationed at Canada's largest airports to help speed up security checkpoints.

The new restrictions came after the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airline.

U.S.-bound passengers are no longer able to bring carry-on bags into the cabin of the aircraft, according to Transport Canada. The only items passengers may carry are:

medication or medical devices
small purses
cameras
coats
items for care of infants
laptop computers
crutches
canes
walkers
containers carrying life-sustaining items
a special-needs item
musical instruments
diplomatic or consular bags
"Additional searches of passengers and their exempted items will continue. Delays can be expected so passengers are advised to arrive at the airport three hours in advance of their scheduled flight," Transport Canada said in a statement.

"These measures are expected to be in place at least for several days."

Besides the usual pre-boarding security checks that have been in place since 2001-- such as restrictions on liquids and gels in carry-on bags -- the new checks include additional physical pat-downs of passengers.

The long line-ups that marked Sunday appeared to be shorter at most flight centres in Canada on Monday, and most flights to the U.S. are departing on time.

That's in contrast to Sunday, when dozens of flights to the U.S. were cancelled or delayed. At Pearson International Airport alone -- Canada's busiest airport -- more than 160 flights were cancelled. Those that did go were typically delayed by one to five hours.

On Monday, Pearson officials said operations were running more smoothly, after Air Canada consolidated some flights and operated larger aircraft on certain routes.

Longer lines around the world

Airports across Europe also reported some delays to U.S.-bound flights Monday, because of the new security requirements.

At London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest air hub, there were delays of about an hour, but both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said delays had been minimal.

In France, the Paris airport authority said security backlogs on flights to the U.S. early Monday had delayed overall traffic an average of one hour, but by the evening, the backlogs had cleared.

While fewer flights are being delayed, the lineups at check-in counters at Canadian airports continue.

Airports are warning that all passengers flying to the United States should allow a few hours to check in. Domestic flights are not facing the same delays and security checks.

Reports from Pearson on Monday suggested that with the extra security searches, it was taking U.S.-bound passengers about three hours to get through security.

Officials with the U.S. Transport Security Administration said Sunday that passengers should not expect to see the same thing at every airport.

The TSA said heightened security procedures could include more gate screening, added presence of law enforcement officers -- some visible, some not -- and bomb-sniffing canine teams.

With reports from The Canadian Press

[Spork]

Time to go buy a small purse for the next flight that I'm on! (P.S. I am male.)

[Political_R]

This is just as ridiculous as the reaction back in July of 2008 after the attempt to blow up 5 trans-atlantic flights was foiled. Time to get those high speed rail lines built ASAP.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Political_R

This is just as ridiculous as the reaction back in July of 2008 after the attempt to blow up 5 trans-atlantic flights was foiled. Time to get those high speed rail lines built ASAP.

Great idea. I'm all for high-speed rail. In Europe they have trains that cruise at 320 km/h (Paris-Strasbourg TGV). Problem is, in Canada and especially the West, do we have the population base to support enough ridership to justify building those trains? Not really.

Even the "high-speed" rail link between Montreal and Toronto only travels at about 165 km/h max, and only has about two trips a day.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Even the "high-speed" rail link between Montreal and Toronto only travels at about 165 km/h max, and only has about two trips a day.

That could read:
...[because] the "high-speed" rail link between Montreal and Toronto only travels at about 165 km/h max, [it] only has about two trips a day.

Faster trains attract more passengers, higher paying customers. If there's one corridor that could use HSR in Canada, this is it.

[eemy]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Great idea. I'm all for high-speed rail. In Europe they have trains that cruise at 320 km/h (Paris-Strasbourg TGV). Problem is, in Canada and especially the West, do we have the population base to support enough ridership to justify building those trains? Not really.

Even the "high-speed" rail link between Montreal and Toronto only travels at about 165 km/h max, and only has about two trips a day.

I'm not sure what you're talking about here. Toronto-Montreal sees 6 trains per day each way, as does Ottawa-Montreal. Toronto-Ottawa sees 5 trains per day. There isn't any "high-speed", just a few trips with fewer stops (more than 2 per day though).

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

I'm not sure what you're talking about here. Toronto-Montreal sees 6 trains per day each way, as does Ottawa-Montreal. Toronto-Ottawa sees 5 trains per day. There isn't any "high-speed", just a few trips with fewer stops (more than 2 per day though).

I stand corrected about the number of trains. I was thinking of the Rapido, years back, and got confused.

What I'm really saying though, is that despite Montreal and Toronto being both big cities, there doesn't seem to be either the will, interest, and/or market for the kind of high-speed trains they have in Europe ..... which is a shame.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

I stand corrected about the number of trains. I was thinking of the Rapido, years back, and got confused.

What I'm really saying though, is that despite Montreal and Toronto being both big cities, there doesn't seem to be either the will, interest, and/or market for the kind of high-speed trains they have in Europe ..... which is a shame.

High speed markets have to be created. The market doesn't exist for them until you create then. Even until the late 30s people still, by and large, travelled by train or oceanliner because it was less expensive. The airline industry didn't take off until it was cheap enough and fast enough.

A Transatlantic airplane ride costed half a year's salary.

Even the revolutionary Boeing 247 still took over 20 hours and seven refuel stops to cross the country. This was 7 hours faster than any other plane. The 247 sped along at 189mph.

Contrast that with a train that could likely do a 2000mi trip (Chicago to SF) in under 30 hours for a LOT less money. (A record breaking Zephyr did a 1000mi Denver-Chicago run in 13 hours averaging 79mph)


These Streamliner trains were pushing 120mph.

So why didn't they keep up the advancement?

According to wiki page A decision by the Interstate Commerce Commission which limited trains to 79mph and the growing interstate construction and other similar restrictions really sounded the death knell of practical rail transport.

The point is that there isn't a huge benefit to taking the train (yet) as the speeds barely compete with a car but you lose the convenience of a car.

People don't (generally) chose a mode of transit because of the mode... in other words, people don't go by train because they like trains. They will do it because it is economical, quick and convenient.

The current line only barely approaches those criteria when compared with the alternatives.

[Waders]

Originally Posted by Spork

Time to go buy a small purse for the next flight that I'm on! (P.S. I am male.)

Wait a minute. The latest information is the carry-on bag ban will only be effective for the next few days.
I don't get it. How does this temporary measure improve security? A terrorist would just wait till the security measure is relaxed.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Waders

Wait a minute. The latest information is the carry-on bag ban will only be effective for the next few days.
I don't get it. How does this temporary measure improve security? A terrorist would just wait till the security measure is relaxed.

The same way preventing passengers from reading a magazine, or preventing Granny from going to the bathroom makes you safer. It doesn't.

But you FEEL a tiny bit safer in the immediate aftermath of an attempted attack, don't you

And they absolutely can't be seen to be doing nothing...

[SpongeG]

it gives time for officials to come up with an idea

[Yume-sama]

Yes, and their idea is to take away even more privacy by using those digital "strip search" machines. If I was a CBC conspiracy theorist, I would say the government planted this guy (most likely the CIA) so they could make the case to take away more civil rights But, of course, you will still have to take off your shoes (as a result of a 2001 attempt), not have any liquid (as a result of a bogus claim), and remove your belt, jacket, etc.

Last night on TV they showed a TSA security person patting down a person with short sleeves and shorts (yes, the exposed parts). People that stupid shouldn't be in charge of anything. It is, of course, worth nothing that a pat down (no matter how many they insist on giving, 2 to 3) would not have stopped this guy, unless they were going to grope his crotch where it was sewn in to his underwear.

Probably the MOST common sense thing they could do is to have bomb sniffing dogs, who really don't discriminate. Rather than highschool dropouts who have to pat down every 90 year old woman out of political correctness.

I so begrudgingly had to book a flight to the USA yesterday. If they haven't calmed the hell down by the time I go in March, it'll probably be the last time I go to the USA.

[Yume-sama]

The second emergency landing this week at YVR, coincidentally both Hawaii bound planes, happened yesterday.

Honolulu bound passengers had to spend New Years Eve in Vancouver after a tire blew on takeoff.

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/WestJet+flight+makes+emergency+landing/2396532/story.html

[mr.x]

What's the likelihood of JAL going under and axing all of its international routes to focus on solely domestic routes?

[MalcolmTucker]

^ Unless JAL is inside out, international flights with the higher margin on first and business passengers should continue to form the backbone of it. That does not mean there won't be realignment and cut of excess capacity especially now that Japan is used less and less as a gateway to the rest of Asia.

[Johnny Aussie]

Air China has loaded their summer scheds. 10 weekly YVR-PEK.

CA992 daily dep YVR 1350
CA998 2,4,7 dep YVR 0300