Posted Jan 30, 2014, 5:44 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YYC
Posts: 2,748
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I was at the YEG FT DO last night. Great discussion and presentations from EIAA operations and marketing staff.
WRT "show AC the door" comments I posted above, standby what I said and it would probably surprise some on here that last nights speech from the EIAA passenger development (marketing) manager was closer to my post. That is AC is an important player in the YEG market with about 30 percent market share. While there was a dust up over the AC LHR and FI service introduction. the EIAA is trying to get past the incident.
Final thing on the importance of AC. YEG has an inbound/outbound passenger imbalance, that is locals are using YEG lot more than visitors are coming Edmonton. Addressing this imbalance is the biggest upside potential for EIAA marketing team.
Some other things that I picked up from the session.
Iceland Air is doing very well (Also got this backed up by a local Travel Agent who is doing lots of FI bookings), the city has really embraced FI. The tight connections are on everyone's mind, both EIAA and FT people alike.
Operationally speaking, Snow Control has got some really neat tools. Fortunately Iveson was not at the meeting - hate to see the YEG snow plows get redirected to 23rd Avenue. Improvements to runway surface conditions computer modeling systems have greatly improved the performance of the airfield and reduced costs. Training program fro Snow Control team is homebuilt and is best in class.
But lets get back to the marketing aspect, specifically new routes. The next big challenge for EIAA is to solidify FI as a long term player into the market. On the assumption that FI is really doing well in YEG. EIAA should be pushing hard for (A) daily flights, (B) slightly better slot times of 1/2 hour earlier into KEF and half our later departure from KEF would solve the tight connection concerns.
Big picture (my opinion only) is that EIAA also has to look beyond FI in the longer term. FI and YEG appear to be a good fit for one another. However the FI value proposition (connections to Europe) is based on a single Uni-directional 10 aircraft bank. Additionally there is only one type of aircraft 757 turning into 738max). Once YEG goes daily on KEF, getting a second daily departure will be very tough sledding.
EIAA did not mention much about tier 1 airline new entrants (e.g. BA, AF, LH). Distilling their slide presentation and discussion about FI, I wonder aloud if BA and LH are really the right fit for YEG because these airlines are front cabin dependent BA is treading water in YYC and LH has scuttled their service. Perhaps KLM would be a better a fit for YEG. I suspect however that going after KLM would result in FI leaving the market.
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