Calgary International Airport II - Page 284

Tobuz · #**5661** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 12:08 AM**

WestJet just announced YYC/YEG-Mesa!

Quote:

WestJet welcomes Mesa, Arizona, to its growing network

Canada's low-fare leader adds more service to the Arizona desert

CALGARY, Nov. 18, 2016 /CNW/ - WestJet announced today it will begin serving Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport from Calgary and Edmonton starting January 19, 2017. Seats will be available for purchase by calling WestJet at 1-888-937-8538 (1-888-WESTJET) and through travel agencies as of 12 p.m. MST on Monday, November 21, and on westjet.com as of 12 p.m. MST on Tuesday, November 22.

Three flights weekly for YYC

Full release with schedule is here:

http://westjet2.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1188

Johnny Aussie · #**5662** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 12:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobuz

WestJet just announced YYC/YEG-Mesa!

Three flights weekly for YYC

Full release with schedule is here:

http://westjet2.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1188

Awesome! Same days and start date as NewLeaf!

YYCMatt · #**5663** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 12:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Awesome! Same days and start date as NewLeaf!

Must be just a coincidence.

Bigtime · #**5664** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 12:43 AM**

Total coincidence. Nothing to see here.

Johnny Aussie · #**5665** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 1:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Total coincidence. Nothing to see here.

Just like YHM-YEG, YHM-YHZ and YHM-YWG... 100% co-inky-dink!

casper · #**5666** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 3:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by YYCMatt

Must be just a coincidence.

No one would ever make the acquisition the WestJet was behaving in a predatory way and try to drive a new entrant out of the market. That would never happen. That behaviour is reserved for the other national airline.

Actually good on WestJet. I think this ultra-low-cost model is a scam given the prices that you are charged once you get to the airport. They deserve to be driven out. Good on WestJet for doing the dirty work.

LO 044 · #**5667** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 5:05 AM**

^Crush them and then watch WestJet drop the Mesa route? Makes sense.

zahav · #**5668** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 6:16 AM**

Delete

casper · #**5669** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 6:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LO 044

^Crush them and then watch WestJet drop the Mesa route? Makes sense.

One of two this will happen once they crush NewLeaf:

1) WestJet will discover this untapped market to Mesa that is distinct and willing to pay a premium over the airlines flying to the main Phoenix airport. A market that nearly every US and Canadian airlines has not seen fit to serve.

or

2) They will drop the fling to a little know air strip that is not served by a single creditable airline and increase serve to the main airport in the region that everyone else goes to.

yyc_engineer · #**5670** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 6:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobuz

WestJet just announced YYC/YEG-Mesa!

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

One of two this will happen once they crush NewLeaf:

1) WestJet will discover this untapped market to Mesa that is distinct and willing to pay a premium over the airlines flying to the main Phoenix airport. A market that nearly every US and Canadian airlines has not seen fit to serve.

or

2) They will drop the fling to a little know air strip that is not served by a single creditable airline and increase serve to the main airport in the region that everyone else goes to.

I'm pretty sure we all know which one of those two it will be. Can you even get a rental car at AZA??

Bigtime · #**5671** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 7:40 PM**

I bet you can get an Uber.

Cage · #**5672** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 8:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

Can you even get a rental car at AZA??

Hertz, Alamo, and Enterprise available if requested ahead of arrIval at the airport. Counter service with limited availability.

Doug · #**5673** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 8:46 PM**

The landing and improvement fees are likely lower at Mesa, giving it a competition advantage over Sky Harbor. Discount airlines often avoid choose secondary airports such as Love Field in Dallas and Hobby in Houston for this reason.

wave46 · #**5674** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper

One of two this will happen once they crush NewLeaf:

1) WestJet will discover this untapped market to Mesa that is distinct and willing to pay a premium over the airlines flying to the main Phoenix airport. A market that nearly every US and Canadian airlines has not seen fit to serve.

or

2) They will drop the fling to a little know air strip that is not served by a single creditable airline and increase serve to the main airport in the region that everyone else goes to.

1. Why go toe-to-toe with NewLeaf so obviously? Westjet should just focus on their own product instead of trying to be everything to everybody. "Everybody's doing it!" is a terrible management strategy. You don't see Southwest trying to compete with Allegiant or Spirit from every little airport they serve.

2. Phoenix Sky Harbor airport (the main airport) is an excellent airport. I've flown through there a few times and it's always been a pleasant experience. Security lines are manageable, delays are minimal (fantastic weather helps that one), and the airport is very central with respect to the city itself. Sure, it's nothing super architecturally amazing, but it's functional - and that's all that I care about. Unless you're actually going to Mesa, Gilbert or Chandler, Mesa airport is out in the boonies.

Smaller airports work if they offer a distinct advantage over their larger brethren, whether it be cost (most often), congestion (second most often), or location (least often).

I'm not seeing the advantage here. Sky Harbor isn't congested, I don't think it's super expensive (like Heathrow or Pearson - but correct me if I'm wrong) and it's in the best spot in the city that you possibly could get, unless you're headed to Mesa itself.

PPAR · #**5675** Posted **Nov 19, 2016, 11:56 PM**

The history of upstart airlines in Canada is dismal. Westjet is completely justified in trying to take out NewLeaf, history suggests that they will be successful. Westjet itself lucked out by being in the right place at the right time as Canadian Airlines collapsed under an unsustainable business model. At the time, I remember many commentators saying that Canada could not support more than one major carrier.

casper · #**5676** Posted **Nov 20, 2016, 2:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPAR

The history of upstart airlines in Canada is dismal. Westjet is completely justified in trying to take out NewLeaf, history suggests that they will be successful. Westjet itself lucked out by being in the right place at the right time as Canadian Airlines collapsed under an unsustainable business model. At the time, I remember many commentators saying that Canada could not support more than one major carrier.

Not fair. WestJet is doing all the work to take out NewLeaf. Air Canada should be going after their Hamilton flights and working on taking them out at that end.

outoftheice · #**5677** Posted **Nov 20, 2016, 6:24 AM**

I honestly don't think Air Canada is all that worried about New Leaf. Yes a new competitor will put pressure on fares but for the most part I feel the type of clientele that will be interested in flying New Leaf abandoned Air Canada for Westjet years ago and therefore it's Westjet that has the most to lose. If I recall correctly, the only time Westjet has ever lost money is when Jetsgo was at its peak. I'm sure there's an executive or two at Air Canada that would enjoy watching Westjet squirm in terms of load factors and profitability again even if it did mean Air Canada was getting squeezed a bit themselves.

Policy Wonk · #**5678** Posted **Nov 20, 2016, 10:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobuz

I arrived through there for the first time last week and there was just a huge mass of humanity standing around confusedly just before customs and just two white hatters sort of directing the flow. That should be fixable with signage or separate queues further out. There also appears to be a resource balancing issue between connecting and terminating passengers.

I can't speak to the new departures arrangement as returning to the US I flew through YVR.

Cage · #**5679** Posted **Nov 20, 2016, 7:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by outoftheice

I honestly don't think Air Canada is all that worried about New Leaf. Yes a new competitor will put pressure on fares but for the most part I feel the type of clientele that will be interested in flying New Leaf abandoned Air Canada for Westjet years ago and therefore it's Westjet that has the most to lose.

You nailed it with above comment.

Time and time again WS pax have shown they will walk to a competitor the moment WS is $20 more in price. This was the pzrimary reason WS instituted the checked bag fees.

With regard to Jetsgo affecting WS profitability, the two incidents happened at the same time but for different reasons. WS lost profitability because they early retired the 737-200 aircraft. At the same time Jetsgo onboarded about 20 airplanes and then imploded when fuel spiked above $40 per barrel equivalent. Had WS not early retired the 732, they would have been profitable.

Corralstar · #**5680** Posted **Nov 20, 2016, 11:34 PM**

Some pictures of Hall E from my recent trip to Las Vegas. I departed from Gate 75, so didn't see the other gate area.

YYC Gates 70-75 by Bill Church, on Flickr

YYC Transborder seats with chargers by Bill Church, on Flickr

YYC Transborder retail 2 by Bill Church, on Flickr

YYC Call to Gate info board by Bill Church, on Flickr

YYC Hallway to Gates E84-97 by Bill Church, on Flickr

YYC Hall E Waiting chairs by Bill Church, on Flickr

YYC Hall E Escalator from US Customs into Duty Free by Bill Church, on Flickr

YYC Hall E Food court by Bill Church, on Flickr