YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

https://www.aircanada.com/en/about/media/presentations/documents/investor_day_2013.pdf

Page 57. This is not an announcement. This route map shows possible routes that the 787 could fly based on range and a market that is right-sized for a 787. No mention of 2015. The only new route on this map that has been officially announced is Delhi.

Unless you are referring to something else.

No, I was wrong on this and you were right on. I thought this was a concretized thing, but it's not, as you say.

[Johnny Aussie]

Funny we were just talking about this!

Perhaps YVR-BNE on AC not far off after all....

http://www.ausbt.com.au/air-canada-tips-...medium=flipper&utm_campaign=home-flipper

According to the Australian manager of Air Canada, an "officially(sic) announcement is due 'very soon.'"

Fingers crossed for another YVR route!

[thebus]

Would have preferred MEL but BNE would still be great. Anyway idea what potential frequency would look like?

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by thebus

Would have preferred MEL but BNE would still be great. Anyway idea what potential frequency would look like?

I would guess 3 - 4 per week to start sometime in 2016.

[trofirhen]

Whereas (and let's hope it stays that way for a while), Seattle has only Hawaii in its Oceania flight roster - along with YVR,
Vancouver already has Manila, Sydney, and Auckland. Seattle does not. Add Brisbane and Melbourne in maybe the next five (hopefully fewer) years,
and you'd get five Pacific destinations that Seattle doesn't have.
Also.... although the Paris-Tahiti Great Circle rout goes DIRECTLY through LAX, via YVR it is only 50-something miles longer !! (... $$fuel, you know) ...
Please observe the links if you find that hard to believe:
http://www.airmilescalculator.com/distance3/cdg-to-lax-ppt/
http://www.airmilescalculator.com/distance3/cdg-to-yvr-ppt/

We might get at least seasonal flights to Tahiti if AF decided it was worth it, and a normally lower $CAD (if that works out as cheaper tickets than from the US)
might attract people from Seattle and Portland for South Pacific flights in general, and that's a solid air market, (even just Seattle and Vancouver, if it came right down to it).
Then, Vancouver would truly become an Oceania hub. Wishful thinking, perhaps? Feedback appreciated.

[twoNeurons]

I would just like to take a moment and say that finding reasonable flights on Aeroplan is almost impossible.

A flight to Central Europe (like Venice) is 60k points return and you pay $600 in fees. 90% of the flights route you through YYZ, FRA or likely... both... because... Luftthansa.

Trying to book a flight via United or Swiss Air to avoid scam fees is next to impossible.

Any veterans here book many reward flights on Aeroplan?

(Yes, I know this is the YVR thread... but I'm flying out of YVR...).

Also, wouldn't it be nice to have a direct Swiss Air flight? I hear their product is really good.

[s211]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

I would just like to take a moment and say that finding reasonable flights on Aeroplan is almost impossible.

It's even worse trying to book business class on Aeroplan. You've got better odds in Vegas.

[Hourglass]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

I would just like to take a moment and say that finding reasonable flights on Aeroplan is almost impossible.

A flight to Central Europe (like Venice) is 60k points return and you pay $600 in fees. 90% of the flights route you through YYZ, FRA or likely... both... because... Luftthansa.

Trying to book a flight via United or Swiss Air to avoid scam fees is next to impossible.

Any veterans here book many reward flights on Aeroplan?

(Yes, I know this is the YVR thread... but I'm flying out of YVR...).

Also, wouldn't it be nice to have a direct Swiss Air flight? I hear their product is really good.

There's Edelweiss, a subsidiary of Swiss International Airlines, which I think does YVR-ZRH 3x/weekly during the summer. I'd love to see Swiss @ YVR but sadly, don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. I'm guessing most of their near-term growth plans are in Asia.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by s211

It's even worse trying to book business class on Aeroplan. You've got better odds in Vegas.

Really? I've always found it quite simple booking business class with aeroplan (flying international).

I always book ages in advance when I use aeroplan points though, for short notice they are more or less useless.

[s211]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Really? I've always found it quite simple booking business class with aeroplan (flying international).

I always book ages in advance when I use aeroplan points though, for short notice they are more or less useless.

Vancouver to Nice, business class, booked as long as possible beforehand (300 days, or something like that):

Vancouver - Seattle - Chicago - Zurich - Nice

The depths we'll scrape to travel business class for cheap!

[deasine]

Originally Posted by s211

Vancouver to Nice, business class, booked as long as possible beforehand (300 days, or something like that):

Vancouver - Seattle - Chicago - Zurich - Nice

The depths we'll scrape to travel business class for cheap!

France is a bit of a SkyTeam territory. At the looks of it, it looks like you are on United and saved on fuel surcharges!

As a rule of thumb with any premium cabin, one should be booking very early, or approximately 1-2 months in advance, or literally the next day.

[casper]

Originally Posted by deasine

France is a bit of a SkyTeam territory. At the looks of it, it looks like you are on United and saved on fuel surcharges!

As a rule of thumb with any premium cabin, one should be booking very early, or approximately 1-2 months in advance, or literally the next day.

You might have better luck flying into Geneva. Geneva has more Star Alliance flights. I done the train and airport bus from Geneva into Grenoble. Nice is quite a bit longer but likely not that bad if you can get on a TGV. Geneva Train station is right in the airport, there also direct buses from the airport into France.

You want to also try some of the Italian airports such as Milan or places like Lyon or Marseile. I usually try to avoid Italian airports personally.

I have always been able book using Aeroplan or RBC Avion. I know some people have said the Aeropan search engine is not as good as ANA, they search there and then call into Aeroplan to do the booking.

Flying the US airlines also helps reduce the silly fees.

[DDP]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

I would just like to take a moment and say that finding reasonable flights on Aeroplan is almost impossible.

A flight to Central Europe (like Venice) is 60k points return and you pay $600 in fees. 90% of the flights route you through YYZ, FRA or likely... both... because... Luftthansa.

Trying to book a flight via United or Swiss Air to avoid scam fees is next to impossible.

Any veterans here book many reward flights on Aeroplan?

(Yes, I know this is the YVR thread... but I'm flying out of YVR...).

Also, wouldn't it be nice to have a direct Swiss Air flight? I hear their product is really good.

Go to united websites, search for award tickets, find "super saver" tickets in blue, Call Aeroplan and book over the phone and pay the $30 fee.

Never booked Swiss so no help there.

[Johnny Aussie]

I sometimes wonder how much busier Canadian domestic travel would be if fares were offered like this....

Usually fares don't get this low... but I managed to snag 2 returns tix from Melbourne to Adelaide for $10 each way on Tiger Airways.. Including taxes and fees but excl credit card fees which are an additional $8.50 each way per pax. So for the two of us return it is costing us $74 all up.
We normally fly Virgin for the perks of status but for a flight the equivalent of YVR-YYC in flight time u can strap me to a middle seat... Don't care.
And it's my business paying for it so I am going to do some business anyway.

So wouldn't it be nice......

[Klazu]

I can't remember was it Easyjet or Ryanair, but my friend flew from Berlin to Stockholm and back for 0.02€ - everything included! There are sometimes promo deals like that for just a few seats, but it's still funny. Can't go lower than that.

[Johnny Aussie]

Yeah this promo (thanks to twitter) was for 1,000 seats for $10. You just have to watch out for them.
Even normal promo fares can be pretty decent here. But it's the bloody credit card surcharges now that are creeping higher and higher.
Just nothing like that in Canada.
Even if the possible new entrants (Jetlines, Bucknaked or NewLeaf) offer opening promos I'd be curious what their fares would be.
This does encourage people to travel.
For example I go to SYD at least 8-10 times a year and sometimes the fares do get out of control. Since it's my money paying for it even when I travel I just won't go if the fares are too high. With over 80-90 flights per day each way (no joke) I can be quite flexible. If it's a have to be there kind of trip I still forego the perks to get a lower fare if I can.
So I hope Canada does get something like this but of course be able to do it profitably which seems to be the struggle here sometimes.

[Johnny Aussie]

Deal reached with the pilots union this week.

Why is this relevant to YVR?...... the betting man has put SYD-YVR as one of the launch routes for this aircraft (could even be THE launch route).

Just a matter of time now.... 2017 perhaps.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/...ge-deal-with-pilots-20150528-ghbc4d.html

So Air Canada you better enjoy your monopoly while you can even if you do launch YVR-BNE as well.

[Johnny Aussie]

More good news stories

Conference Board of Canada seems to agree with the BMO about BC's economic growth leading the country...

http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/news...vinces_in_economic_growth_this_year.aspx

And at the city level, Vancouver as well.

http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/news...ong_top_economic_performers_in_2015.aspx

All of these predictions (if hold true) should keep CYVR ticking along nicely.... curious to see how the April numbers are... should know any day now!

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Deal reached with the pilots union this week.

Why is this relevant to YVR?...... the betting man has put SYD-YVR as one of the launch routes for this aircraft (could even be THE launch route).

Just a matter of time now.... 2017 perhaps.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/...ge-deal-with-pilots-20150528-ghbc4d.html

So Air Canada you better enjoy your monopoly while you can even if you do launch YVR-BNE as well.

Are you saying Qantas would resume YVR-SYD maybe as of 2017 - on a year round basis? That'd be great !!! Like an old friend coming home.
And is there the possibilty of year-round to MEL within the next five years, do you think? (Whatever the airline).
If yes, YVR would have the PNW - Oceania market nailed down. We might get a number of US passengers,too, I rather think.

[Johnny Aussie]

With Aeromexico commencing daily flights to MEX in December from YVR I realise this route is targeting more than just sun seekers. On one hand the YVR-sun destination weekly count of flights shoots up by 7 on Dec 9. But looking at this map this new route will provide excellent one stop options to the top Central and South American destinations.

https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hph...d321b81f83c30e4d1c2e5797357e&oe=55F95B7E

Every route is shorter via MEX than YYZ... for the 4 main YVR markets of LIM, SCL, EZE and GRU.... particularly for the western cities in SA.