YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[vanlaw]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I just booked a YVR-HKG-TPE-HKG-YVR trip and will be heading to Hong Kong and Taipei for vacation in two weeks!

Air Canada was by far the cheapest option on the YVR-HKG (and it's non-stop) route, but damn that 77W HD that they are flying on that route. I am not looking forward to sitting 13h 30min in the economy class on that plane. I hope things are a bit better on the aisle seats and perhaps I am able to upgrade to the Exit seats or even Premium Economy.

On HKG-TPE route there is some serious competion and I found ridiculously cheap business class seats onboard Hong Kong Airline. They fly a new A330 on that route with lie-flat pods, so not bad for $350 return!

Really looking for my trip to these two skyscraper meccas. I have six full days in Hong Kong and five in Taipei. The amount of photos I will take will be crazy...

I just did the YVR-HKG run on AC's 77W HD. Honestly, it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. We fly quite a bit, always in economy, and it didn't feel any worse than LH's or BA's economy product from Vancouver. Granted, we are a family of four and the kids are small, so we can take up the whole middle row, so maybe that makes it a bit better.

The bottom of the seats are a little short (i.e not deep enough), and the controls on the arm are idiotic, but comfort wise it was ok. The larger screens and IFE are great too. Much improved over the old AC product. When we booked back in August it was under $700 each. I can deal with a bit of cramped room for that price.

[Klazu]

Good to know that the flight can be survived and I have flown once on this plane from YVR to YYZ. It is not completely unbearable, but everything is more cramped than on other planes. In the end it depends on your luck and what kind of person you end up getting next to your narrow seat.

Yeah, I saw similar prices just before Christmas but was not able to book at time, so I paid slightly more. Going to Hong Kong flight is not the biggest expenditure but accommodation. Damn that city is expensive!

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Couldn't resist... And here comes another... I bet 5-7 flights "per day" to AUS would have as many passengers as Westjet's flights from Edmonton to Kamloops or Nanaimo! again... Couldn't resist... Is it late in YYZ NOW?!?!

Ok... with Austin as I briefly mentioned, there are so many decent one stop options a direct YVR would have to compete with: AA via LAX, DFW and PHX; DL via LAX, SEA and SLC; UA via SFO, LAX, DEN, IAH and even ORD; AS via SEA. To get enough loyal frequent fliers out of their programs and get enough bums into a daily CRA to make it work... Asian leveraging would also be up against LAX, SFO and SEA.... well you get the picture! O&D would really have to be more in the 50,000 annual range to consider this I would think. AUS alone, not with SAT.

Oh wow, well it was like 8:30 and I was still at the office, though clearly not working that hard

You're probably right about Austin, still a route I'd love to see. Don't underestimate the allure of a direct to business flyers though... time is money! Especially given how quickly booked up the DFW, DEN and IAH flights seem to get, your only sensible options are SEA, LAX or SFO most of the time, especially last minute which constitutes a lot of business flying.

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Wow the YVR news just keeps getting better for 2016.

From 22 June to 30 Sept KE will be flying the 747-8 on the YVR-ICN route

http://airlineroute.net/2016/01/27/ke-s16update2/

So YVR gets both 747-8s from Korean Air, passenger and cargo.

According to koreanair.com config is 6F/48C/314Y - ttl 368 with all their brand new products.

So summer 2016 YVR is getting both passenger super jumbos. The BA 380 and now the KE 748. 748 is longer by about 3.5m.

Just saw this in the Canada section, amazing! pretty surprising too, going from a 777-200 to a 748i is a massive upgauge no?

I wonder how long Asiana will let them have this route to themselves.

Originally Posted by vanlaw

the controls on the arm are idiotic

This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Did they never test the product before rolling it out? The amount of times I or my neighbour has turned off my screen, rammed the volume up or called the FA is totally insane.

[SFUVancouver]

I rarely do this, but may I ask for some assistance finding the end-of-year article about the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet at YVR? I can't find it for the life of me and know that it was linked to on SSP. Does anyone else remember it?

Edit - Found it!

https://www.biv.com/article/2015/11/rich...m_term=0_6d3015fdef-84abf70604-210829401

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Did they never test the product before rolling it out? The amount of times I or my neighbour has turned off my screen, rammed the volume up or called the FA is totally insane.

Yeah, definitely a problem on all Air Canada planes with the new cabin (Dreamliners and 777). It does indeed boggle the mind whether they conducted any user testing on that.

[ShawnShank]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Just saw this in the Canada section, amazing! pretty surprising too, going from a 777-200 to a 748i is a massive upgauge no?

It is a big upgauge, but if I recall correctly KE has been upgauging to the 744 for the summer for at least a few years now. Now, the some of them are being retired and more routes are switched to the 8I instead

[LeftCoaster]

Ya I looked at my spreadsheet and it was showing a 747-400, don't know why airlineroute is showing it as a 777-200 unless that is the winter equipment and they are only showing the change from winter/spring 2016 to summer 216 not summer 2015 to summer 2016.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Ya I looked at my spreadsheet and it was showing a 747-400, don't know why airlineroute is showing it as a 777-200 unless that is the winter equipment and they are only showing the change from winter/spring 2016 to summer 216 not summer 2015 to summer 2016.

Every airline loads advance schedules differently. For example, YVR-ICN on KE, the default equipment is the 777-200. Then when they update by season, in this case summer, they would adjust to the planned new equipment. Normally in the summer for KE it's a 744. So airlineroute is showing the actual change based on what the current schedules were showing to the updated one which is now a 748. Sometimes he shows the comparison to the prior same period.

[hoboman27]

"Air Canada also carrying on business as Air Canada rouge - scheduled international licence between Canada and Taipei"

https://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/ruling/19-a-2016

Possible YVR-TPE on rouge?

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by hoboman27

Possible YVR-TPE on rouge?

I sure hope so! As I was just browsing prices for that route, the current players (Eva Air and China Airlines) seemed rather expensive to me and it's not even the high-season. More competition would be good.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by hoboman27

"Air Canada also carrying on business as Air Canada rouge - scheduled international licence between Canada and Taipei"

https://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/ruling/19-a-2016

Possible YVR-TPE on rouge?

Licence only covers codeshare, not AC operated flights.

Doubtful a rouge 763 could make the flight nonstop and carry full 275 pax load.

The new codeshare application does point to a warming of relations between AC and EVA. Back about 5 years ago it was amazing they were even alliance partners.

[LeftCoaster]

You sure? TPE is only 9,600km from YVR and AC lists the range at 10,500km and Boeing lists it as 11,000 at MTOW.

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Every airline loads advance schedules differently. For example, YVR-ICN on KE, the default equipment is the 777-200. Then when they update by season, in this case summer, they would adjust to the planned new equipment. Normally in the summer for KE it's a 744. So airlineroute is showing the actual change based on what the current schedules were showing to the updated one which is now a 748. Sometimes he shows the comparison to the prior same period.

Ahh thanks for the info, makes sense.

Either way very cool. Doubt there are too many airports out there that see regularily scheduled service of both the A380 and B748i.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Ahh thanks for the info, makes sense.

Either way very cool. Doubt there are too many airports out there that see regularily scheduled service of both the A380 and B748i.

Yes, and with so few 748 operators unlikely there will be many. In PEK a few weeks ago saw a 744 and a 748 right next to each other... Quite the difference when seen up close.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

In PEK a few weeks ago saw a 744 and a 748 right next to each other... Quite the difference when seen up close.

They have several of those next to each other also on FRA. To be honest, I could only tell the difference from the number of windows in the hump.

I wonder why airlines are not embracing 748 more, considering how popular 747 was and isn't the new model very modern when it comes to fuel consumption etc? Airlines sayd A380 is too large, but then don't embrace the slightly smaller 748?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I wonder why airlines are not embracing 748 more, considering how popular 747 was and isn't the new model very modern when it comes to fuel consumption etc? Airlines sayd A380 is too large, but then don't embrace the slightly smaller 748?

Perhaps they will do so, if Boeing markets the 748 effectively. Right now, everyone seems enthralled with the 789 and the Airbus 350, but this my change over time.

[Klazu]

Dreamliner has been a success and it is great how quickly it is becoming commong as it is so comfortable to fly, but 748 competes in a totally different market with a capacity of 200 passengers more than a Dreamliner. They shouldn't be eating each others markets and there must a lot of routes that benefit from planes larger than the Dreamliner.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Dreamliner has been a success and it is great how quickly it is becoming commong as it is so comfortable to fly, but 748 competes in a totally different market with a capacity of 200 passengers more than a Dreamliner. They shouldn't be eating each others markets and there must a lot of routes that benefit from planes larger than the Dreamliner.

I wonder if Emirates uses many A350's.

[LeftCoaster]

I don't think they use many, since they don't own any.

Just a hunch though.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Dreamliner has been a success and it is great how quickly it is becoming commong as it is so comfortable to fly, but 748 competes in a totally different market with a capacity of 200 passengers more than a Dreamliner. They shouldn't be eating each others markets and there must a lot of routes that benefit from planes larger than the Dreamliner.

The 777-300 is the alternative to the 748. Air Canada like most others are going to 10 across economy and getting the number of passengers up to the same numbers as the old 747-400 of years past. I am told the cargo capacity on the 777-300 is also better than the older 747-400.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

I wonder if Emirates uses many A350's.

They had ordered 70 (!) A350's, but cancelled them all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Airbus_A350_XWB_orders_and_deliveries

I saw my first A350 at HEL over Christmas. Finnair in-flight magazine was also heavily advertizing it, although it seems like exactly the same product as Dreamliner. Too bad they fly them only towards east.