YEG - Edmonton International Airport Part III

[TyJoseph]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Delta to Minny was PACKED the other day, many Americans up here for hunting.

Yeah I noticed! Delta's 2 daily CRJ900 flights to Minneapolis seem to be quite popular both ways. Delta even recently increased its Seattle route to 2 daily CRJ700 flights as its popularity was higher than expected! I wonder if they'll add a third daily flight to Minneapolis or maybe add a Salt Lake City flight.

I flew the United A319 to Houston on United, it too was packed, 126 passengers out of 128 seats. The flight back was on a 737-900ER with 164 passengers out of 179 seats (~92% capacity).
The Denver route (A319) was also pretty full, 114 passengers out of 128 seats (~89% capacity).

Alaska is maintaining it's 3 daily flights (1 Q400 and 2 CRJ700s) to Seattle throughout the fall, though on Oct 4th they'll be replacing the CRJ700s with the new and slightly higher capacity E175s. Spring/Summer '17 schedule is planned to increased to 4 daily flights (2 Q400s and 2 E175s).

Back in early September I flew on KLM to AMS, I found out they replaced Edmonton's A330-200 service with the larger A330-300 and would begin flying 4 times weekly in April 2017 and that the 787-9 should start service Summer '17. But instead of the A330 I was expecting, it was actually a B777-200ER. Passenger count was 274 out of 311 seats (~88% capacity) so it was nice, some room, but mostly full. The return flight was on the A330-300. Passenger count was 278 out of 292 seats (~95.5% capacity). Even cooler was that it seemed that at least half of the passengers were Dutch or German - I even sat beside a 19 yr old Dutch woman who was on her second vacation visiting Edmonton & Jasper. She even said she was considering going to the UofA and was gonna check out the campus! Didn't know tourism was such a big market in Alberta! Nor did i know that it was so well known in The Netherlands & Germany. Either way, I can't wait for the 787-9!

[MacLac]

Originally Posted by TyJoseph

Yeah I noticed! Delta's 2 daily CRJ900 flights to Minneapolis seem to be quite popular both ways. Delta even recently increased its Seattle route to 2 daily CRJ700 flights as its popularity was higher than expected! I wonder if they'll add a third daily flight to Minneapolis or maybe add a Salt Lake City flight.

I flew the United A319 to Houston on United, it too was packed, 126 passengers out of 128 seats. The flight back was on a 737-900ER with 164 passengers out of 179 seats (~92% capacity).
The Denver route (A319) was also pretty full, 114 passengers out of 128 seats (~89% capacity).

Alaska is maintaining it's 3 daily flights (1 Q400 and 2 CRJ700s) to Seattle throughout the fall, though on Oct 4th they'll be replacing the CRJ700s with the new and slightly higher capacity E175s. Spring/Summer '17 schedule is planned to increased to 4 daily flights (2 Q400s and 2 E175s).

Back in early September I flew on KLM to AMS, I found out they replaced Edmonton's A330-200 service with the larger A330-300 and would begin flying 4 times weekly in April 2017 and that the 787-9 should start service Summer '17. But instead of the A330 I was expecting, it was actually a B777-200ER. Passenger count was 274 out of 311 seats (~88% capacity) so it was nice, some room, but mostly full. The return flight was on the A330-300. Passenger count was 278 out of 292 seats (~95.5% capacity). Even cooler was that it seemed that at least half of the passengers were Dutch or German - I even sat beside a 19 yr old Dutch woman who was on her second vacation visiting Edmonton & Jasper. She even said she was considering going to the UofA and was gonna check out the campus! Didn't know tourism was such a big market in Alberta! Nor did i know that it was so well known in The Netherlands & Germany. Either way, I can't wait for the 787-9!

Hmmm....I wonder why Johnny Aussie is reporting different AS and Delta numbers to Seattle??? Tell us Johnny.....

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by MacLac

Hmmm....I wonder why Johnny Aussie is reporting different AS and Delta numbers to Seattle??? Tell us Johnny.....

Because that's what the GDS systems are telling me.

The second daily DL to SEA is cancelled for the winter (second daily set to resume in Spring 2017). And AS to SEA for as far as the systems can tell you it remains at less than three daily.

Transborder Winter 16/17 is as follows:

Westjet
LAS 12pw
PHX 10pw
LAX 7pw
PSP 7pw
OGG 2pw
MCO 1pw

Delta Connection
MSP 14pw
SEA 7pw

United
IAH 7pw

United Express
DEN 12pw

Horizon
SEA 19pw

American Eagle
PHX 7pw

[McBoo]

Funny, I find folks argue seat loads with me about flights that I have actually been on and they haven't.

Ur United IAH flights is exactly my story - flight was better than 90% full and I know 'cause I was on it and was told, oh well that never happens.

Yet, you too? Mine, like yours wasn't summer tourist season.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by McBoo

Funny, I find folks argue seat loads with me about flights that I have actually been on and they haven't.

Ur United IAH flights is exactly my story - flight was better than 90% full and I know 'cause I was on it and was told, oh well that never happens.

Yet, you too? Mine, like yours wasn't summer tourist season.

I don't think that the transborder schedule from YEG will drop anymore (save for a frequency or two maybe). But clearly with the reduced schedule, flights will most likely have a higher LF as there are just so few seats to fill. The whole transborder market hasn't collapsed but pax travelling now will be more and more funnelled through other Canadian cities (mainly YYC, YVR and YYZ). I also think sometimes there is a misconception that just because a flight is full (even if 100% full) the route could support an extra flight. Even during the days when there were multiple flights per day to IAH, DEN, ORD, SFO etc and people constantly saying how full the flights were... the opposite has happened. As we all know a high LF does not equate to a profitable flight either.

[LO 044]

And on the note of funneling...

Hainan / WestJet begins codeshare service from Sep 2016

Hainan Airlines operated by WestJet
Calgary – Edmonton
Calgary – Kelowna
Calgary – Ottawa
Calgary – Regina
Calgary – Toronto
Calgary – Vancouver
Calgary – Victoria
Calgary – Winnipeg
Toronto – Edmonton
Toronto – Halifax
Toronto – Kelowna
Toronto – Montreal
Toronto – Ottawa
Toronto – Regina
Toronto – Vancouver
Toronto – Victoria
Toronto – Winnipeg

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airl...-begins-codeshare-service-from-sep-2016/

[Rocket252]

Like I said the overall trend is to funnel passengers through Canadian Hubs which puts us in a bad position.

[urbanroo]

What do we think the chances are of getting ORD, DFW and other lost flights or frequencies back once the economy starts to improve a bit?

[Rocket252]

Air Canada is to introduce a new daily year-round non-stop service between Vancouver International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth beginning February 5, 2017. The new link will be flown by Jazz Aviation LP under the Air Canada Express brand using Bombardier CRJ-705 equipment, offering a 75-seat, wi-fi equipped two-class Business and Economy service.

This year Air Canada has already launched new international services to Brisbane and to Dublin from Vancouver, with new flights launching to Delhi in October. Air Canada has also launched new US transborder flights from Vancouver this year to Chicago, San Jose, and San Diego.

"We continue to strategically expand our Vancouver hub, and our newest transborder flights to the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the USA offer local business travellers a non-stop service, as well as improved access for customers in British Columbia and Alberta via convenient connections in Vancouver," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

Originally Posted by urbanroo

What do we think the chances are of getting ORD, DFW and other lost flights or frequencies back once the economy starts to improve a bit?

Pretty good. It'll be a while, but SFO/ORD will be back DFW ever comes back.

Originally Posted by Rocket252

as well as improved access for customers in British Columbia and Alberta via convenient connections in Vancouver," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

They want us to fly to DFW via YVR? Get outta here.

[240glt]

That's not a bad option, will likely take that flight on my next trip to Dallas.

Better to fly to Vancouver, spend a day and then take a direct flight than deal with some of the terrible routings available through the other carriers

I never mind a 24 hour layover in Lotusland

[MacLac]

Originally Posted by Acey

Pretty good. It'll be a while, but SFO/ORD will be back DFW ever comes back.



They want us to fly to DFW via YVR? Get outta here.

Blows my mind....AC can go fuck themselves. AS through Seattle for every trip since they started serving us....will NEVER use another route...especially Hongcouver....

[EdmTrekker]

Originally Posted by Acey

Pretty good. It'll be a while, but SFO/ORD will be back DFW ever comes back.



They want us to fly to DFW via YVR? Get outta here.

But you think "us" should fly YEG to YYC to go to LHR....right?

[urbanroo]

[QUOTE=Acey;7571168]Pretty good. It'll be a while, but SFO/ORD will be back DFW ever comes back.

I sure hope so. I need that ORD flight back. My work/family situation means I need to fly to Chicago about 25 times a year. I can connect in Minneapolis for a while, but not forever.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by MacLac

Blows my mind....AC can go fuck themselves. AS through Seattle for every trip since they started serving us....will NEVER use another route...especially Hongcouver....

I'll admit AC has been pretty pathetic in it's US service from YEG but this statement seems a little ridiculous. Considering that they had exactly zero transborder flights from YEG if my memory serves then why the hatred to them? It has been WestJet, Delta, American, and United who have all scaled back their flights, not AC.

[Coldrsx]

We had a Delta CRJ9 abort its takeoff damn near V1 today out of Nashville... smoke in the cabin, just a bit unnerving. Would have missed our connect in Minny so rebooked WJ through the big smoke... 8 hour difference in arrival time, yay.

Originally Posted by EdmTrekker

But you think "us" should fly YEG to YYC to go to LHR....right?

I don't care how you get to LHR. I'm talking about that particular marketing angle for Albertans destined to Dallas... YYC-DEN-DFW or YEG-DEN-DFW would be preferable as pre-clearing at the start of the trip is less hastle IMO, and of course both are shorter routings.

[big W]

Originally Posted by Acey

I'm talking about that particular marketing angle for Albertans destined to Dallas... YYC-DEN-DFW or YEG-DEN-DFW would be preferable as pre-clearing at the start of the trip is less hastle IMO, and of course both are shorter routings.

Exactly. Why would anyone go through Vancouver from Alberta to go to Dallas. Longer flight time, worse routing and have to deal with customs in Vancouver where we can do it at home. I am sure most will use Denver for the time being. Still Star Alliance as well. Granted we could also use Houston or Phoenix but they are not as good but still better than through YVR.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

We had a Delta CRJ9 abort its takeoff damn near V1 today out of Nashville... smoke in the cabin, just a bit unnerving. Would have missed our connect in Minny so rebooked WJ through the big smoke... 8 hour difference in arrival time, yay.

Holy crap, that must have been intense.

[240glt]

^^ i bet a lot of BC expats like myself would rather go that route. Easy to get to YVR from here, and multiple direct flights from YVR to Dallas every day

When We travel and have to lay over we try to do it in a place we enjoy being. Vancouver is a fantastic city for a short stays, and YVR connects to pretty much everywhere so I can see why it's such a popular airport