Calgary International Airport II

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Seat pitch on board from their twitter:

Seat pitch in the 767 is 31" ,except Plus (rows 1-4) 38",and emergency exit rows (6DEF and row 17-18, 39")

The aircraft from QANTAS that WestJet has ordered do not have emergency exit door for row 6. Also even if there was a second door at row 6 there would not be another over wing exit at row 17 and 18.

I took a look at WestJet.com seat selection page and did notice there is something at row 5 and 6. Row 5 is missing the Center seats. Also I did some analysis of seat pitch per row and compared the results to AC rouge. Compared to ACr, the WS seat configuration is missing 34 inches before the over wing exit rows. This suggests there is a mid cabin galley on the WS 763.

After the over wing exits, the ACr and WS seat maps are identical in total inches accept WS has one less row than ACr. However 1/3 of the additional seat pitch on WS is given to the over wing exit rows, which are 39" compared to 35" on ACr.

One other observation is that WS has blocked fom seat selection most of the forward economy cabin, rows 5-10. Another explanation is for he missing 34 inches is that WS will have an economy plus style seat section. This would make WS competitive with ACr.

[hoboman27]

Guys (gals), question. When did United (if they did) announce/publish major service cuts to Calgary? I thought we knew that they pulled out of YXE and YQR, and cut Edmonton quite a bit, this was posted on this thread fall of last year.

But I must have missed that they were cutting YYC too. I thought Calgary was mostly spared of this.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by hoboman27

Guys (gals), question. When did United (if they did) announce/publish major service cuts to Calgary? I thought we knew that they pulled out of YXE and YQR, and cut Edmonton quite a bit, this was posted on this thread fall of last year.

But I must have missed that they were cutting YYC too. I thought Calgary was mostly spared of this.

As far as i know, UA has not cut YYC at all. Some people have considered the switch from 739 to 73G a cut; but this is overall minor as frequencies still remain the same.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Cage

- mainline 321 fleet grows by 3 aircraft in 2015 and 1 additional aircraft in 2016. This also replaces flying previously done by E90. Additionally and mentioned before, the rouge fleet gets 2 321s in 2015 and 3 321s in 2016. The rouge 321 will likely be deployed on YYZ to Florida and are rumoured to come with 12 domestic business class seats to upgrade premium rouge to acceptable standard.

FWIW, Airliners is reporting the ACr 321s in late 2015 will be new builds. I think this is true but with the understanding that AC has picked up leases from a major lessor like ILFC or GEAC.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by Cage

As far as i know, UA has not cut YYC at all. Some people have considered the switch from 739 to 73G a cut; but this is overall minor as frequencies still remain the same.

Yeah, overall UA at YYC is doing fine.

Looking ahead... more mainline to Chicago, mainline being reinstated to DEN with only one fewer frequency per day, more E75s to SFO and the switch from 739s to 73Gs to IAH. Overall UA @ YYC this summer should be about the same capacity or even higher than last summer.

[hoboman27]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Yeah, overall UA at YYC is doing fine.

Looking ahead... more mainline to Chicago, mainline being reinstated to DEN with only one fewer frequency per day, more E75s to SFO and the switch from 739s to 73Gs to IAH. Overall UA @ YYC this summer should be about the same capacity or even higher than last summer.

Oh I was sure that they cut frequencies. I guess it's probably just the winter season, but will recover when we are in the summer.

Just got back from a trip to Dallas, loved their international terminal D. The high ceiling, very bright with all that natural light. The skylink was very nice too, driverless, all automated. Looped around the airport in 20 minutes.

Oh and wifi actually works too.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by hoboman27

Oh I was sure that they cut frequencies. I guess it's probably just the winter season, but will recover when we are in the summer.

Just got back from a trip to Dallas, loved their international terminal D. The high ceiling, very bright with all that natural light. The skylink was very nice too, driverless, all automated. Looped around the airport in 20 minutes.

Oh and wifi actually works too.

Yes, everything in the winter season took a cut for the US airlines. The US airlines are into year two of the US Passengers Bill of Rights that imposed severe penalties for things like being held on tarmac for more than three hours. Based on last years hit the US airlines took on their winter financials, they all resolved to reduce winter capacity this year. Better to never have the flight in the system rather than have a flight in the system and then incur a penalty for excessive delay or cancellation.

The other factor affecting US airlines is the draw down of 50 seat regional jets. This is has greater affect on smaller station such as YXE, YQR, and YEG; but offpeak flying in places like YYC is also affected.

For the AC major hubs, AC has come into the market with rouge and this has suppressed the effect if US airline capacity drawdown. Also WS has increased trasnborder flying again this year.

In case it hasn't already been made clear, WestJet crew from multiple sources are 100% certain that the 767 will be doing domestic flying on YYC-YYZ this summer and possibly other legs as well, simulating ETOPS by filing flight plans as if there was an imaginary ocean between Calgary and Toronto. I was unaware this was something they could do.

Don't know if these flights will be loaded into the sked or will be game day swaps.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Acey

In case it hasn't already been made clear, WestJet crew from multiple sources are 100% certain that the 767 will be doing domestic flying on YYC-YYZ this summer......

Don't know if these flights will be loaded into the sked or will be game day swaps.

Probably not game day swaps. There is no revenue impact to WS if they are game day swaps. On 3.75 hour sectors the most profitable route would be the following.

1. 652 yyc-YYZ 00:35-6:17
2. 655 YYZ-YYC 9:00-11:15
3. 664 YYC-YYZ 12:25-18:07
4. 671 YYZ-YYC 19:45-22:00
Wash rinse repeat.

Based on pricing as available today, WS is selling plus seats for $1050 all in. This would entail same day standby for free onto the WS 763 no matter what the flight times were. The WS plus seats on the 763 are directly comparable to AC North American business class on the narrowbody aircraft. Comparable Ac business class fare is $4350 for the equivalent flights. Yield dilution on the business class cabin for yyc-Yyz is going to be big number this summer season.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by Cage

For the AC major hubs, AC has come into the market with rouge and this has suppressed the effect if US airline capacity drawdown. Also WS has increased trasnborder flying again this year.

Very noticeable at YVR with transborder skyrocketing 14.7% and over 52,000 more transborder pax in Jan 15 compared to 14. Rouge was certainly a big part of that along with Westjet, American and Delta increased services. Only real significant loss there was AS to LAX.

United at both YYC and YVR were only minimally decreased this winter.

Originally Posted by Cage

WS is selling plus seats for $1050 all in.
Comparable Ac business class fare is $4350 for the equivalent flights. Yield dilution on the business class cabin for yyc-Yyz is going to be big number this summer season.

Assuming what I've heard about YYC/YEG-YYZ being at times the most profitable legs in the AC system, is this potentially a problem for AC? How quick would AC J flyers be willing to jump ship even at less than half the price though.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by Acey

In case it hasn't already been made clear, WestJet crew from multiple sources are 100% certain that the 767 will be doing domestic flying on YYC-YYZ this summer and possibly other legs as well, simulating ETOPS by filing flight plans as if there was an imaginary ocean between Calgary and Toronto. I was unaware this was something they could do.

Don't know if these flights will be loaded into the sked or will be game day swaps.

Sounds about right. The scuttlebutt I am hearing is pilot training would commence around June, not sure how long that takes. That was about a month ago and at that time they had not put the pilot bid out yet.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Acey

Assuming what I've heard about YYC/YEG-YYZ being at times the most profitable legs in the AC system, is this potentially a problem for AC? How quick would AC J flyers be willing to jump ship even at less than half the price though.

The most profitable domestic legs in the AC system are in order:
1) YYZ-YVR
2) YYZ-YUL
3) YYZ-YOW
4) YYZ-YYC
5) YYZ-YHZ
7) YYC-YVR
8) YUL-YVR
9) YYZ-YEG
10) YUL-YYC

The problem for AC is they have to match WS dollar for dollar. An AC exec once told me the WS switch over to Sabre from Open Skies cost AC over $50 million dollars because of the heavy discounting WS had to do post conversion and AC had to match their deeply discounted tickets.

FWIW last night I pitched to the Mrs that we should take a vacation to YYZ and use WS instead of AC because the price for plus was so much cheaper than AC Business Class.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Cage

FWIW last night I pitched to the Mrs that we should take a vacation to YYZ and use WS instead of AC because the price for plus was so much cheaper than AC Business Class.

Apples and oranges. There's no way a Westjet seat, with only a few extra inches of leg room, compares to true business class seating and amenities.

At $3,300 savings I'd think many will take those oranges.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by s211

Apples and oranges. There's no way a Westjet seat, with only a few extra inches of leg room, compares to true business class seating and amenities.

I lifted the following quote from flyertalk.com Westjet reward thread.

Originally Posted by aerobod

The first aircraft that will be in service for Canadian flying this summer to gain ETOPS certification over a 3-month period will be the ex-Qantas aircraft VH-OGJ: http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b767-25274.htm

The Canadian registration will be C-FOGJ, it will be fitted with winglets. The 24 Plus seats in 2-2-2 config will have 110V power and the Qantas seats will be covered with WestJet standard leather, the 238 Economy in 2-3-2 config will have 5V USB power and will also have the current dark blue WestJet leather. The Panasonic IFE streaming media and Internet connectivity system being fitted to the 737s will also be on the 767s. The aircraft config will otherwise basically be the same as it was with Qantas.

The poster is a Westjet employee.

For the 763 widebody flights Westjet is pulling the QF seat covers and putting on the WS leather seat covers for both WS Plus and Economy.

I have flown QF domestic business class, the seats are identical in size to the AC North American business that was featured on the old 767-200 (e.g. the Gimli Glider).

Also the above pretty much confirms that WS is going with traditional seats/ The WS traditional seats with 31" pitch will have the same legroom as AC rouge slimline seats with 30" pitch that are installed in the rouge 763.

[Pegasus]

Is YYC now doing parallel simultaneous landings? From my downtown office window this morning I saw two planes coming in VERY close to each other from the south (perhaps only ten or twenty plane lengths apart).

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by lubicon

Sounds about right. The scuttlebutt I am hearing is pilot training would commence around June, not sure how long that takes. That was about a month ago and at that time they had not put the pilot bid out yet.

I heard training began in January.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

I heard training began in January.

Chief Pilot and select few training and check ride pilots started training in January or February. Equipment bid went out in February or March. Only yyc Pilots allowed to bid. 78 pilots in the initial bid.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Cage

FWIW, Airliners is reporting the ACr 321s in late 2015 will be new builds. I think this is true but with the understanding that AC has picked up leases from a major lessor like ILFC or GEAC.

Confirmed from AC source, the 321s will be new build and leased through CIT.

For the mainline 321s and 320s the seats will be previously enjoyed on the 319 fleet. Overhead bins and associated passeger lights will be the only way to tell that you are on new build 321 and not original fleet 321.

Also the 320s, 2 of them, have arrived from lease through Thomas Cook and are flying in the North American system.