Calgary International Airport II

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Tobuz

And FWIW, the claims in the class action are ridiculous. If the allegations are true ... I’m fine with them.

Applying a tiny part of the AIF to Springbank makes YYC better, because it takes a significant runway volume (ie congestion) away from YYC. Making it better for everyone.

And applying part of the AIF to carrier incentives (if that part is true) is equally good for YYC, and a good way to develop routes and service for the city.

As much as I hate that we have the country’s highest AIF, I really hope YYC defends against this silliness ... vigorously.

This is the only thing that needs to be defended.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Tobuz

And applying part of the AIF to carrier incentives (if that part is true) is equally good for YYC, and a good way to develop routes and service for the city.

The airlines get a portion of the AIF as compensation for collecting the AIF, recording and reporting passenger data, having a financial audit done to prove the completeness and accuracy of the AIF collections.

Airlines don't get AIF for incentives to start new routes, maintain existing routes, or for marketing purposes.

Now the problem is the AIF commission must be charged equally to all airlines. However WS costs for collecting the AIF are not 10x times that of UA or DL (despite WS having 10x the volume).

ETA: In the beginning of the AIF program in Canada, the airport used to operate their own AIF collection, after checkin the pax had to go pay their AIF before going through security. The AIF ticket was collected before entering the preboard security line.

[yyc_engineer]

Originally Posted by Cage

The airlines get a portion of the AIF as compensation for collecting the AIF, recording and reporting passenger data, having a financial audit done to prove the completeness and accuracy of the AIF collections.

Not an insignificant amount of AIF money goes towards credit card transaction fees paid by airlines when collecting. Assuming a 2% transaction fee, an AIF of $30, 16M pax and 40% of those pax on WestJet - they alone are paying $3.84 Million a year to Visa/Mastercard to collect AIF at Calgary.

Does anyone else remember when YVR had the staffed counter that collected that your AIF? That was the stupidest thing ever.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

Not an insignificant amount of AIF money goes towards credit card transaction fees paid by airlines when collecting. Assuming a 2% transaction fee, an AIF of $30, 16M pax and 40% of those pax on WestJet - they alone are paying $3.84 Million a year to Visa/Mastercard to collect AIF at Calgary.

Does anyone else remember when YVR had the staffed counter that collected that your AIF? That was the stupidest thing ever.

I take it you heard my call in to Danielle Smith on CHQR770 this morning.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

Not an insignificant amount of AIF money goes towards credit card transaction fees paid by airlines when collecting. Assuming a 2% transaction fee, an AIF of $30, 16M pax and 40% of those pax on WestJet - they alone are paying $3.84 Million a year to Visa/Mastercard to collect AIF at Calgary.

Does anyone else remember when YVR had the staffed counter that collected that your AIF? That was the stupidest thing ever.

I don't have a problem with the first 2% going to either WS or AC. I am however concerned about the other 2% which on a cost basis there is 1 FTE at AC doing the AIF accounting for all of Canada (its the same agreement between each airport and each airline). For $80,000 plus the cost of an audit, the airlines are keeping $3M plus just from YYC.

The bigger problem for the CAA, their financial disclosures mention AIF fees are used for improvements to both YYC and YBW. All other airports state the AIF is only used to improve the airport where funds are collected.

[hoboman27]

Originally Posted by Cage

I take it you heard my call in to Danielle Smith on CHQR770 this morning.

Cage Representin!
But now we know your name...

The lawyer on the other hand sounded extremely ill informed, lots of mis-information (YYC is the only one charging this fee, only AC and WS gets the 4% etc etc), and random numbers thrown out...

[Tobuz]

Reports of a shooter via social media, but Calgary Police say no.

One post with video here:

https://twitter.com/mikenishizaki/status/1075859774984482816?s=21

Update from YYC here:

We can confirm after @CalgaryPolice's investigation that there is no threat as a result of the reports. Some areas of the International Terminal Building are still under lock down. We will resume regular operations as quickly as possible. #yyc.

... but no clear story on what did actually happen.

[hollywoodcory]

Frontier loaded more changes. They cut back to just once weekly from beginning of February through the end of May. Looks like it will only be 2x weekly for the summer.

[YYCFlier]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

Frontier loaded more changes. They cut back to just once weekly from beginning of February through the end of May. Looks like it will only be 2x weekly for the summer.

F9's strategy is baffling. They fly into DEN so late you can't connect anywhere. Why wouldn't they try to connect pax? Otherwise it's all O&D and that's limited.

On other note, it would seem YYC is WS's first lounge airport (makes sense given 787 launch). Anyone know where? Domestic, TB, or International first or all three?

[hollywoodcory]

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

F9's strategy is baffling. They fly into DEN so late you can't connect anywhere. Why wouldn't they try to connect pax? Otherwise it's all O&D and that's limited.

On other note, it would seem YYC is WS's first lounge airport (makes sense given 787 launch). Anyone know where? Domestic, TB, or International first or all three?

I meant to also add their adjusting their flight times to earlier. This summer it will arrive 2:30pm and depart at 3:30, thus making connections in DEN easier.

[YYCFlier]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

I meant to also add their adjusting their flight times to earlier. This summer it will arrive 2:30pm and depart at 3:30, thus making connections in DEN easier.

Much better. Not showing in schedule yet though. Still late arrival.

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

F9's strategy is baffling. They fly into DEN so late you can't connect anywhere. Why wouldn't they try to connect pax? Otherwise it's all O&D and that's limited.

On other note, it would seem YYC is WS's first lounge airport (makes sense given 787 launch). Anyone know where? Domestic, TB, or International first or all three?

I've tried them a couple times for my trips to Charlotte through Denver. It wasn't so bad coming into Denver and flying late out. I can do a red-eye flight but on the way back there was a 5 hour layover. No thanks.

Also...not a single time did their planes leave on time.

[hollywoodcory]

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/air...g-haul-service-adjustment-as-of-21dec18/

Condor is increasing to 4x Weekly next summer.

[Tobuz]

The pre-security shopping area near the C-gates entrance (“Banff Hall”, if I recall) is looking 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 sad these days. It looks like an old, boarded-up mall on its way out of business.

And the A gate entrance area has now lost both its Starbucks and a bookstore.

It’s depressing to see boarded up shops — especially given the economy (and overall mood) in this city. Pretty embarrassing to see shuttered businesses so prominently at the gateway to our city.

CTV picked up on the story, and says the airport attributes it to traveller habits (not wanting to spend any time outside of the secure/sterile areas of airports):

The Calgary Airport Authority confirms six stores have shuttered this year from the domestic terminal’s pre-security screening area as demand increases for additional services nearer to the gates.

In 2018, The Boxer Shoppe, Calgary Flames FanAttic, Virgin Books, Riley & McCormick and two Starbucks locations ceased operations in the older part of the airport. Their former homes remain vacant with murals on the boarded-over entrances offering little indication of what had been.

Here’s the link, with video: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/mobile/airpor...g-habits-of-airline-passengers-1.4230656

And add to that ... the liquor store on the arrivals level of the International terminal is shutting down in a few days, too.

[Denscity]

Wow things must be bad if Calgary can’t keep open a Calgary Flames store!!

[zahav]

That is pretty bad, retail at airports can be a bit fickle with changing but usually there isn't an extended closure of places like normal businesses on the street. And Starbucks?! They never seem to close!

Before the international terminal opened, would this area be close to where int and transborder pax would enter? I am not familiar with YYC's layout (I flew thru once but don't rememeber and it was ~2014) so not sure, but wondering to Calgary forumers if the new terminal is more the cause of reduced traffic here, or if their stated reasons of changing customer preference is actually the case... The Airport Authority would not like disparaging remarks made about the traffic loss due to the new terminal I'm sure, so this spin would make it seem more generic while not painting the airport development as a culprit

[YYCguys]

Originally Posted by zahav

That is pretty bad, retail at airports can be a bit fickle with changing but usually there isn't an extended closure of places like normal businesses on the street. And Starbucks?! They never seem to close!

Before the international terminal opened, would this area be close to where int and transborder pax would enter? I am not familiar with YYC's layout (I flew thru once but don't rememeber and it was ~2014) so not sure, but wondering to Calgary forumers if the new terminal is more the cause of reduced traffic here, or if their stated reasons of changing customer preference is actually the case... The Airport Authority would not like disparaging remarks made about the traffic loss due to the new terminal I'm sure, so this spin would make it seem more generic while not painting the airport development as a culprit

Banff Hall is between the two domestic wings. I don’t believe the opening of the new terminal has had anything to do with these store closures. I do believe that passengers are arriving at the airport and are spending their time either in lines at checkin and therefore rushing through security to catch their flight, or are spending more time post security after arriving early for their flight, as mentioned in the news piece.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

Banff Hall is between the two domestic wings. I don’t believe the opening of the new terminal has had anything to do with these store closures. I do believe that passengers are arriving at the airport and are spending their time either in lines at checkin and therefore rushing through security to catch their flight, or are spending more time post security after arriving early for their flight, as mentioned in the news piece.

I'd agree with that. I generally go right from check-in straight to security. Any time I spend is post-security. Further, unlike some other airports, the only shot the stores at Banff Hall have is when passengers are out-bound. In-bound come out on the level below by the carousels, so the stores have zero chance at snagging any of those.

[casper]

Originally Posted by zahav

That is pretty bad, retail at airports can be a bit fickle with changing but usually there isn't an extended closure of places like normal businesses on the street. And Starbucks?! They never seem to close!

Before the international terminal opened, would this area be close to where int and transborder pax would enter? I am not familiar with YYC's layout (I flew thru once but don't rememeber and it was ~2014) so not sure, but wondering to Calgary forumers if the new terminal is more the cause of reduced traffic here, or if their stated reasons of changing customer preference is actually the case... The Airport Authority would not like disparaging remarks made about the traffic loss due to the new terminal I'm sure, so this spin would make it seem more generic while not painting the airport development as a culprit

The only time I ever spent in that pre-security retail space was when airport security would not let me in less than 2-3 hours before departure. I wanted to go to the lounge but they did not understand that. Most other airports don't have that issue and the last few times I have not had any resistance. In my case it is usually because I wrap up a meeting earlier than expect and have a few extra hours to kill before the flight.

What the airport authority should have done is created a unified security clearance area for A, B and C that feeds into hall. Basically turning it into a post security area. Once your through security you can wander around through that area, maybe buy something before heading over to your gate.

[outoftheice]

Personally I think the Airport Authority did this to themselves and are simply unwilling to admit their mistake. Short term parking at the airport used to be free for the first 30 minutes. You used to see lots of people taking advantage of this feature when they were either picking up or dropping off people at the airport. During those 30 minutes people would grab a coffee and browse the shops and spend their money.

A few years ago the Airport Authority began charging for the first 30 minutes of parking and the impact was almost instantaneous... the cell phone pick up lot was packed full and the curbside pick up points on the arrivals level were a zoo during peak times. Why the Airport Authority decided it made more sense to have people idling in their own cars in a cell phone lot instead of browsing the terminal and spending their money at retailers is beyond me but since that decision was made there has been a steady stream of retail closings pre-security.

Changing the policy back might save some of the retail but at this point I don't think the Airport Authority really cares. My guess is future renovations will change the layout of the terminal so that these shopping areas become post security to try and capture a larger (and captive) market.