Atlantic Canada airport thread

[q12]

Couple of cool photos of the new runway extension at Halifax Stanfield:



http://thechronicleherald.ca/sites/d...9A25I3O.11.jpg

http://thechronicleherald.ca/busines...ted-big-planes



http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/to..._620x349_1.jpg

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...extension.html

[Smevo]

Also posted in the Sydney thread.

http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/L...flight-added/1

Inside the lounge area of the newly renovated J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport. Steve Wadden - Cape Breton Post

Extra Sydney-to-Halifax flight added

Published on January 31, 2013
Elizabeth Patterson RSS Feed


SYDNEY — Starting today, Air Canada is adding another Sydney-to-Halifax flight, raising the number to six per day from Monday to Friday.

...

Sydney Airport Authority CEO Helen MacInnis said they approached the carrier about adding a new flight last fall when they noticed increased demand for the service.

...

[Trevor3]

^^
Great to see for Sydney. I've always felt that airport should be doing more business anyway. There is a substantial population base in industrial Cape Breton and no reason that airport shouldn't have daily service year round to Toronto.

When I was in elementary school I lived in Sydney for 4 years, I used to fly Air Canada on their old Sydney-Stephenville route with my parents whenever we would go home for holidays.

[Fischbob]

Was bored and messing around on Expedia. Here are the results:

Flights departing June 28 and returning July 2, 2013

Vancouver to Saint John: CAD$1000 and up (Air Canada), 84 flight results
Vancouver to Fredericton: CAD$995 and up (Air Canada), 120 flight results
Vancouver to Moncton: CAD$836 and up (WestJet), 204 flight results
Seattle to Bangor: CAD$714 and up (US Airways), 208 flight results

Nothing we didn't already know, but damn we're getting screwed here.

[Mattyyy]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

Was bored and messing around on Expedia. Here are the results:

Flights departing June 28 and returning July 2, 2013

Vancouver to Saint John: CAD$1000 and up (Air Canada), 84 flight results
Vancouver to Fredericton: CAD$995 and up (Air Canada), 120 flight results
Vancouver to Moncton: CAD$836 and up (WestJet), 204 flight results
Seattle to Bangor: CAD$714 and up (US Airways), 208 flight results

Nothing we didn't already know, but damn we're getting screwed here.

Yes it is cheaper to fly out of Bangor, however I think by the time you factor in the cost of gas to drive to Bangor and the cost of parking (assuming somebody drives you to catch a flight in Moncton), it wouldn't be worth the drive.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

Was bored and messing around on Expedia. Here are the results:

Flights departing June 28 and returning July 2, 2013

Vancouver to Saint John: CAD$1000 and up (Air Canada), 84 flight results
Vancouver to Fredericton: CAD$995 and up (Air Canada), 120 flight results
Vancouver to Moncton: CAD$836 and up (WestJet), 204 flight results
Seattle to Bangor: CAD$714 and up (US Airways), 208 flight results

Nothing we didn't already know, but damn we're getting screwed here.

It's gross.

A few more, same dates, for us:

St. John's to Halifax: Flights from $275 to $1,000
St. John's to Toronto: Flights from $563 to $918
St. John's to Vancouver: Flights from $974 to $1,539

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

Was bored and messing around on Expedia. Here are the results:

Flights departing June 28 and returning July 2, 2013

Vancouver to Saint John: CAD$1000 and up (Air Canada), 84 flight results
Vancouver to Fredericton: CAD$995 and up (Air Canada), 120 flight results
Vancouver to Moncton: CAD$836 and up (WestJet), 204 flight results
Seattle to Bangor: CAD$714 and up (US Airways), 208 flight results

Nothing we didn't already know, but damn we're getting screwed here.

I did the same search from May 1st, and returning May 8th. I got;

Saint John to Vancouver: $ 913, tax incl
Fredericton to Vancouver: $913, tax incl
Moncton to Vancouver: $753, tax incl
Saint John to Seattle: $839, tax incl
Moncton to Seattle: $815, tax incl

[JHikka]

I think the morale of the story is not to fly Air Canada

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I think the morale of the story is not to fly Air Canada

I fly to Vancouver/Seattle quite a bit for work. I actually have no complaints about Air Canada. I've flown Continental/United (Halifax-Newark-SeaTac) a few times to save a couple dollars. However, the cattle hearing and behavior of flying a US carrier is simply not worth any savings. Even if it costs more, Air Canada is still worth it.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

I fly to Vancouver/Seattle quite a bit for work. I actually have no complaints about Air Canada. I've flown Continental/United (Halifax-Newark-SeaTac) a few times to save a couple dollars. However, the cattle hearing and behavior of flying a US carrier is simply not worth any savings. Even if it costs more, Air Canada is still worth it.

Agreed. I do between 100-150 flights per year, the majority on AC and quite enjoy Air Canada.

The economy of serving small market airports and government taxes are more to blame then AC for pricing.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by nwalbert

Agreed. I do between 100-150 flights per year, the majority on AC and quite enjoy Air Canada.

The economy of serving small market airports and government taxes are more to blame then AC for pricing.

Agreed. I much prefer Air Canada over US airlines. They are much more professional.

I presume airport improvement and landing fees are to blame for the price difference flying Saint John to Seattle vs Saint John to Vancouver.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I think the morale of the story is not to fly Air Canada

When given the option I'll always fly Porter. They literally always have a 30% seat sale. Typically a ticket from Halifax-St. John's will only cost me about $130 everything included. If not an option I try and fly Westjet just because I find their flight attendants to be more fun, lively, and overall less robotic

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

When given the option I'll always fly Porter. They literally always have a 30% seat sale. Typically a ticket from Halifax-St. John's will only cost me about $130 everything included. If not an option I try and fly Westjet just because I find their flight attendants to be more fun, lively, and overall less robotic

That's actually a really good price for Halifax-St. John's. It's good to have competition between carriers so that we can avoid price gouging as much as possible.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by JHikka

That's actually a really good price for Halifax-St. John's. It's good to have competition between carriers so that we can avoid price gouging as much as possible.

Very true. I wish Westjet would increase some of their international flight numbers, may bring the price down a little. The cost of flying to London on Air Canada is frightening.

[SignalHillHiker]

Westjet whenever possible, here.

I've very rarely had a positive experience with Air Canada - and it can't be fully my fault. I'm so easy going. I'm the type of guy who'll eat whatever the hell the waitress brings me if she gets my order wrong.

I've almost always had long layovers and delays. I've lost my luggage a few times. I once had (after yet another delay and missed connection) an agent in Toronto say to me, NOT joking, "We can't get you to St. John's until tomorrow morning. But there is a flight via Montreal to Halifax before that, is that close enough?"

The only problem I have ever had with Westjet was a short (less than one hour) delay in Toronto but I didn't mind (nor did anyone else) because before the delay even began the flight attendant let us all know there was a flight coming in from B.C. with 16 Newfoundlanders on it and if our flight didn't wait, they wouldn't get home before Christmas.

So instead of pissed off confusion as you always get with Air Canada, people were in good spirits - even clapped and cheered with the late arrivals boarded.

I am 100% Westjet, all the way. They don't have the unjustified... "Canadian attitude", if you know what I mean... of Air Canada.

[Marty_Mcfly]

^the only time I ever hit a snag when flying Westjet was being stuck in New York for a few extra hours. We had thunderstorm delays both in New York and Toronto, so there really wasn't anything we could do about it. We got two free food vouchers for LaGuardia alone. When we finally got got on the flight we were given free drinks because the flight attendants felt bad We missed our connection to St. John's due to the delay, but as soon as we got off the plane there was a westjet employee at the top of the gate with our boarding passes for the next flight to St. John's, a hotel voucher, and another 3 food vouchers. After making it home I received an email from westjet apologizing for the inconvenience, and offered a 50% off voucher for my next St. John's-New York flight.

They really went over the top to make everything as pleasant as possible.

In retrospect, the whole being stuck in Toronto with Air Canada during Christmas was a nightmare. Once landing in Toronto we were made to run across the airport, wait in another line for about 2 hours where we had to book our own flights, and then call our own cabs to bring us to a shady hotel in Scarborough.

[SignalHillHiker]

Brilliant.

And, God... significant delays with Air Canada are the worst.

That airline has always reminded me of... an older, unattractive woman with outdated hair and make-up, wearing a fur coat, acting like she's sitting in First Class on the Titanic while sitting at some truck stop diner bitching at the waitress because there's something wrong with her coffee.

I just want to scream, "B****, you're NOT who you think you are."

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Agreed. I much prefer Air Canada over US airlines. They are much more professional.

I presume airport improvement and landing fees are to blame for the price difference flying Saint John to Seattle vs Saint John to Vancouver.

Let me expound on this statement.......

If I am flying to Toronto to make international connections, I prefer Air Canada because of multiple flights per day out of the GMIA. I also prefer Air Canada to any US airline.

If I am flying to Toronto, only to go to Toronto, especially if my destination is downtown (which it invariably is), I prefer to fly Porter. Billy Bishop Toronto Island Airport is very convenient to downtown, and Porter is a very civilized way to travel.

If my destination is western Canada, I prefer to fly WestJet. There are good connections to the west out of Pearson via WestJet, and I find WestJet a very relaxed way to travel......

[Fischbob]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

^the only time I ever hit a snag when flying Westjet was being stuck in New York for a few extra hours. We had thunderstorm delays both in New York and Toronto, so there really wasn't anything we could do about it. We got two free food vouchers for LaGuardia alone. When we finally got got on the flight we were given free drinks because the flight attendants felt bad We missed our connection to St. John's due to the delay, but as soon as we got off the plane there was a westjet employee at the top of the gate with our boarding passes for the next flight to St. John's, a hotel voucher, and another 3 food vouchers. After making it home I received an email from westjet apologizing for the inconvenience, and offered a 50% off voucher for my next St. John's-New York flight.

They really went over the top to make everything as pleasant as possible.

In retrospect, the whole being stuck in Toronto with Air Canada during Christmas was a nightmare. Once landing in Toronto we were made to run across the airport, wait in another line for about 2 hours where we had to book our own flights, and then call our own cabs to bring us to a shady hotel in Scarborough.

Wow, that really is amazing service! WestJet's regional airline can't come fast enough.

I'm also a big fan of Porter; had the opportunity to fly with them Toronto-Moncton last summer and MAN is everything great. Smooth check-in, relaxed service, free snacks at the terminal, free meal on the plane, free booze... basically heaven! Next time I'm Toronto-bound I'll definitely be looking at them first.

I still fly most often with Air Canada, mainly because it remains the only game in town for NB-Montreal direct.

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Westjet whenever possible, here.

I've very rarely had a positive experience with Air Canada - and it can't be fully my fault. I'm so easy going. I'm the type of guy who'll eat whatever the hell the waitress brings me if she gets my order wrong.

I've almost always had long layovers and delays. I've lost my luggage a few times. I once had (after yet another delay and missed connection) an agent in Toronto say to me, NOT joking, "We can't get you to St. John's until tomorrow morning. But there is a flight via Montreal to Halifax before that, is that close enough?"

The only problem I have ever had with Westjet was a short (less than one hour) delay in Toronto but I didn't mind (nor did anyone else) because before the delay even began the flight attendant let us all know there was a flight coming in from B.C. with 16 Newfoundlanders on it and if our flight didn't wait, they wouldn't get home before Christmas.

So instead of pissed off confusion as you always get with Air Canada, people were in good spirits - even clapped and cheered with the late arrivals boarded.

I am 100% Westjet, all the way. They don't have the unjustified... "Canadian attitude", if you know what I mean... of Air Canada.

I think I am the only person in the country that has never encountered a problem with Air Canada. I have flown with WestJet a few of times and ran into a couple of minor inconveniences, but nothing to make me never fly with them again. I have a trip coming up next month, flying to on AC and back on WJ. Should be a good chance to compare the two.