Atlantic Canada airport thread

[lirette]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Any domestic AC flight is horrible in general. I'll only fly AC if it's international.

I don't get how people can fly AC if WJ/Porter are options.

Probably price.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by lirette

Probably price.

ON aprox. January 15th I, with a neighbours assistance booked a flight on AC, (PEI TO Houston) in March. The fare was/is at least $150.00 cheaper than West Jet. The charge for baggage is also cheaper. I wanted to go WJ, I just could not justify the extra expense.

FYI, My neighbour is an ultra frequent flyer and knows where to find deals. He looked on many sites and I saw all the fares. AC's fares were far better out of 3 different maritime airports for the day I am leaving.

[J81]

Originally Posted by q12

Rouge is a downgrade not an upgrade.

Moncton, Fredericton and St. John's have joined Charlottetown and Deer lake and are now "rouged"

The Air Canada Rouge A319 has one of the smallest seat pitches in North America (29 inches). They also have no seat-back entertainment system.

Also the Rouge A319's (average age over 20 years old) are far older than the more modern Dash-8 Q400 (Average age 7 years old).






Good new for Halifax though as the only Rouge flight out of Halifax (Halifax-Calgary) is going back to a larger mainline A320 with better seat pitch and seat back entertainment systems with proper business class.

A Rouge A319 is in every way an upgauge from a Q400. Bigger overhead bins, faster travel times, and getting out of the D gates at Pearson which feel like decending down into a dungeon. Im not sure if Rouge has Skycheck but that may be a possibility as well. Something also not available on the Q400. Yes the seat pitch is dreadful but it isnt great on a Q400 either.

[J81]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It does make one wonder what Air Canada is doing with their Q400's..........

One thing's for sure, Air Canada isn't putting the Airbus A319's on their Maritime routes out of the goodness of their heart. This is a strategic deployment of their assets, nothing more and nothing less.

Airports like Moncton and Freddy will gain a little prestige by the return of regularly scheduled jet service to their facilities. On the other hand frequency of service will take a little hit and, as previously mentioned, Rouge has an uncomfortably tight seat pitch making passengers feel like sardines. At least the flight to Toronto will be quicker........

I wonder if this is a permanent deployment, or is Rouge just repositioning assets so that the A319's travel to the Maritimes in the summertime and then to sun destinations in the winter. If so, the Q400's might return to the schedule in the fall.

AC is getting out of the 19 seat Beech 1900 business as it has it has never been profitable. As well the DH1s are being replaced by DH3s. The Q400s are being deployed on routes the DH3s were serving. Its just a major shuffling of equipment and the missions they are deployed on.

[gehrhardt]

Originally Posted by habskilla

Friends don't let friends fly Rouge.

Rouge is a HORRIBLE customer experience.

Agreed. I was "Rouged" on a business trip flight from Montreal to Rome a few years back, as it was short notice. I swore never to fly Rouge again, if it could be helped.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by gehrhardt

Agreed. I was "Rouged" on a business trip flight from Montreal to Rome a few years back, as it was short notice. I swore never to fly Rouge again, if it could be helped.

Rouge might be tolerable on a short jaunt, like from Moncton to Toronto (1.5 hours), but as I noted on a previous post, I was "rouged" on a flight from TO to San Diego several years ago and nearly crippled. That was only a four hour flight. I can't imagine being "rouged" on a flight to Rome from Montreal!!!

Were they carrying passengers off the flight on stretchers????

At least there will be options to get to Toronto from Moncton for our friends more than 5' 10" tall (one remaining AC Q400, Porter, WestJet).........

[lirette]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

ON aprox. January 15th I, with a neighbours assistance booked a flight on AC, (PEI TO Houston) in March. The fare was/is at least $150.00 cheaper than West Jet. The charge for baggage is also cheaper. I wanted to go WJ, I just could not justify the extra expense.

FYI, My neighbour is an ultra frequent flyer and knows where to find deals. He looked on many sites and I saw all the fares. AC's fares were far better out of 3 different maritime airports for the day I am leaving.

Pretty much my experience..if I had more disposable income and didn't care about price I'd choose Porter or WestJet everytime. Also typically flights out of Moncton are short because its always either a connecting flight or to a destination like Toronto or Montreal.

I'd usually rather cheap out on my flight because I'm booking months in advance, and save that $150 to get a better hotel since it has a bigger overall impact on my trip. I'm only 30 right now..when I hit my mid 40's I'll probably start wanting to spend the extra $ on flight comfort.

I've been travelling out of Halifax when I can, mostly because I've been able to get better prices and you can clear customs there (and its very quick). I got a direct flight to NYC LaGuardia last May on Delta for $300 Canadian. One of the best travel experiences I've ever had. I plan on taking the direct Westjet flight to Dublin in September.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by J81

A Rouge A319 is in every way an upgauge from a Q400. Bigger overhead bins, faster travel times, and getting out of the D gates at Pearson which feel like decending down into a dungeon. Im not sure if Rouge has Skycheck but that may be a possibility as well. Something also not available on the Q400. Yes the seat pitch is dreadful but it isnt great on a Q400 either.

It's not an upgrade if you have to sit between two people IMO.

[gehrhardt]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Rouge might be tolerable on a short jaunt, like from Moncton to Toronto (1.5 hours), but as I noted on a previous post, I was "rouged" on a flight from TO to San Diego several years ago and nearly crippled. That was only a four hour flight. I can't imagine being "rouged" on a flight to Rome from Montreal!!!

Were they carrying passengers off the flight on stretchers????

At least there will be options to get to Toronto from Moncton for our friends more than 5' 10" tall (one remaining AC Q400, Porter, WestJet).........

It is my company's policy to upgrade to Business class (in one direction) on flights over x number of hours, so I was upgraded. Too bad Rouge doesn't have business class. I was upgraded to "economy plus", which means a complimentary iPad to use on the flight and slightly better meals. I was happy to see that my flight home was on AC. Even in Economy on the way home, I remember it being more comfortable.

I recently sat in the front row of the economy class for a trip to London and back on WestJet. It was the most comfortable "non-pod" flight I have ever experienced. I would pay the extra to do that again.

[J81]

Originally Posted by OliverD

It's not an upgrade if you have to sit between two people IMO.

Such is the reality of flying in most of the populated world. Check in early and pick your seat or pay a small fee when u book to avoid it.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by gehrhardt

It is my company's policy to upgrade to Business class (in one direction) on flights over x number of hours, so I was upgraded. Too bad Rouge doesn't have business class. I was upgraded to "economy plus", which means a complimentary iPad to use on the flight and slightly better meals. I was happy to see that my flight home was on AC. Even in Economy on the way home, I remember it being more comfortable.

Rouge's premium economy is good. We did Montreal-Athens and it was very comfortable and the staff were awesome.

[OliverD]

I didn't realize that all of the YFC-YUL flights had been/are being upgraded to the CRJ100. Same capacity as the Dash 8-300, but significantly faster and quieter. Pitch is 1" less though.

[MonctonRad]

There is now a press release up on the YQM website about this:

Air Canada Makes Strategic Enhancements to Eastern Canadian Routes for Spring. February 14, 2019


Source: Air Canada
•Toronto to Fredericton, Moncton, Thunder Bay and Montreal to St. John’s flights to be operated with Airbus A319
•Capacity added between Montreal and St. John’s and between Calgary and Halifax with larger aircraft

MONTREAL, Feb. 14, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today announced strategic changes to Eastern Canada including upgrading Air Canada Express regional aircraft to larger Air Canada Rouge aircraft with inflight amenities on its flights from Toronto to Fredericton, Moncton and Thunder Bay, and from Montreal to St. John’s.

“Air Canada is upgrading key Eastern Canada routes currently operated with all-economy regional aircraft by deploying larger Air Canada Rouge jets which offer a choice of two cabins, wi-fi and in- flight entertainment streamed to personal devices,” said Mark Galardo, Vice President, Network Planning at Air Canada. “We are pleased to add more travel options to and from Newfoundland and Labrador by increasing capacity on our flights to St. John’s via our Montreal hub which offers excellent connections to and from our extensive North American and global network. With our varied and flexible fleet, we are also adding capacity to our popular Calgary-Halifax seasonal flight with larger mainline Airbus A320 aircraft, with connections in Calgary conveniently linking eastern and western Canada.”

Customers also collect and redeem Aeroplan Miles through Canada’s leading loyalty program when travelling with Air Canada, and eligible customers have access to priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounges, priority boarding and other benefits.

Route Frequencies
Montreal-St. John’s 2 daily Air Canada Rouge A-319 flights effective June 5
Toronto-Fredericton 2 daily Air Canada Rouge A-319 flights effective June 1
Toronto-Moncton 3 daily Air Canada Rouge A-319 flights effective May 1
Toronto-Thunder Bay 3 daily Air Canada Rouge A-319 flights effective May 1
Calgary-Halifax 1 daily Air Canada A -320 flight effective May 14

Following the recently finalized Capacity Purchase Agreement between Air Canada and Chorus Aviation, Air Canada is optimizing its fleet within its network strategy and deploying the aircraft best-suited to the communities it serves as it modernizes and simplifies its regional fleet.

Air Canada is effectively giving up on it's Beechcraft service (apparently because of pilot shortages - they get experience on the Beechcraft early in their career and then move on at the earliest opportunity). I wonder what this means for flights from YQM to YHZ (which are on Beechcraft)? Will this be upgraded as well to Dash 8 or CRJ??? Apparently this is happening in Freddy.

[J81]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

There is now a press release up on the YQM website about this:



Air Canada is effectively giving up on it's Beechcraft service (apparently because of pilot shortages - they get experience on the Beechcraft early in their career and then move on at the earliest opportunity). I wonder what this means for flights from YQM to YHZ (which are on Beechcraft)? Will this be upgraded as well to Dash 8 ???

The Beech 1900 has never been a money maker hauling people. They only cities where it works are ones that are subsidized by the government. This is mostly a US scenario as im not sure any airport in Canada has such a service subsidized by the government. I would assume whenever the agreement with Exploits Valley Airservice expires that it wont be renewed. . We will see.

Its interesting that AC is basically going back to its routes here in Moncton. In the 90s a DC9 flew the YYZ route 3 times daily. Then in the early 2000s after the Canadian Airlines takeover it was flown by 737s 3 times daily then switched between a Fokker F28 and DC9 again until the arrival of Jazz CRJs. With the extra flight added to YUL on a Q400, it sounds as if any YYZ bound passengers that wont fit on the rouge flights, it sounds like AC is banking on those passengers connecting in YUL.

[Blue Blazer]

Bring back Air Nova

[Bishop2047]

^ Or with any luck westjet will step up frequency in the maritime cities.

[Rogie]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

There is now a press release up on the YQM website about this:



Air Canada is effectively giving up on it's Beechcraft service (apparently because of pilot shortages - they get experience on the Beechcraft early in their career and then move on at the earliest opportunity). I wonder what this means for flights from YQM to YHZ (which are on Beechcraft)? Will this be upgraded as well to Dash 8 or CRJ??? Apparently this is happening in Freddy.

AC execs said this morning in a conference call that the capacity shifts in Atlantic Canada are basically a wash. It's more about moving Q400 capacity to the West, and in particular, reinforcing the hub in Vancouver.

[Sunnybrae]

Well i'm just glad to see some different aircraft coming to Moncton. I rarely fly so I don't care about Rouge and the seating. I am an aviation enthusiast so the more variety, the better. I was getting really bored of the constant Q400 flights. Now if we could get some 737 max or 787 with that awesome wing flex.

[MonctonRad]

Telegraph Journal article bringing some further clarity to the equipment changes for Air Canada out of YQM:
https://www.telegraphjournal.com/telegraph-journal/story/100850658/air-canada-airbus (paywall)

Air Canada to fly bigger jets into N.B. airports

Air Canada will fly the bigger, faster and more comfortable Airbus A319 on flights from Toronto to Moncton and Fredericton, the airline announced on Thursday.

The Moncton-Toronto flights start on May 1 and will depart Moncton three times daily, 6 a.m., noon and about 6 p.m.

The A319 is a twin-engine jetliner that features in-flight entertainment that can be streamed to personal devices and onboard Wi-Fi, according to Air Canada's website.

Its 136-passenger, single-aisle cabin features 12 premium-class seats and rows of three-by-three economy class seats with accessible seating options.

The Q-400 will still be used on Air Canada's Montreal, Halifax and Ottawa routes out of Moncton, Pondant said.

So now we know what the departure times will be for the YQM flights to Toronto. There will only be one early morning flight. Since most people on this flight are making connections out of YYZ, I expect it will be very busy. Remember to book early!

Also, the last quote above indicates that the YQM-YHZ route is being upgraded to Q400 service from the current Beechcraft equipment. This is a substantial upgrade. I wonder if they will be retaining the same frequency? With the upgrade to Q400, I know I will be more tempted to consider using YHZ as a transfer point than I was before. The old Beechcraft service was a significant disincentive. Still, there are many more potential connections out of YYZ than YHZ, so I'm not sure how frequently I would choose Halifax as the connecting point instead. Perhaps if my destination is Boston, NYC or Washington..........

[magee_b]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Also, the last quote above indicates that the YQM-YHZ route is being upgraded to Q400 service from the current Beechcraft equipment. This is a substantial upgrade. I wonder if they will be retaining the same frequency? With the upgrade to Q400, I know I will be more tempted to consider using YHZ as a transfer point than I was before. The old Beechcraft service was a significant disincentive.

There's no schedule changes showing the Beechcraft services from Halifax being removed. Ottawa route is still scheduled as a CRJ, and Montreal is a mix of Q400 & DH3. My bet is it is just a mis-quote by the TJ, or a poorly informed communications person.

It does make one wonder what will become of the Beechcraft services from Halifax - While the western services which have been shut down in the latest AC schedule changes were run by Georgian, the ones out of Halifax are run by EVAS and there's been no indication of any changes on that arrangement. Air Canada is also getting rid of their DH1 aircraft (37 seats) over the next year - so quite a big jump up to the 50 seat DH3 if those Beechcraft routes have to be up-gauged.

EDIT: Checked on the YFC-YHZ flights... currently 3 daily (2 Beechcraft, 1 DH3)... May 1st switch to a 4 daily all Beechcraft