YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[Klazu]

I flew on Hong Kong Airlines back in February HKG-TPE-HKG in Business Class and it was excellent. They offer very cheap business class (I got mine for the price of Economy!) tickets thoughout their network and it is a proper J experience. Definitely hoping for them to come to YVR!

[aznkrazy504]

Aeromexico increases YVR starting Jan 10th

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by aznkrazy504

Aeromexico increases YVR starting Jan 10th

Will this be an added flight per day Mexico City to YVR and / or another city like Guadalajara or Monterrey?

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I flew on Hong Kong Airlines back in February HKG-TPE-HKG in Business Class and it was excellent. They offer very cheap business class (I got mine for the price of Economy!) tickets thoughout their network and it is a proper J experience. Definitely hoping for them to come to YVR!

I think this really is a case of when not if

Originally Posted by aznkrazy504

Aeromexico increases YVR starting Jan 10th

Good catch!

Additional flight YVR-MEX added Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays departing at 0700 arriving in MEX at 1425.

So the route goes to 10 weekly with the daily red eye still in place.

Looks like all flights will be operated by 73H aircraft so more seats as well.

[Hourglass]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

Hmm... didn't even see HK Airlines potential route to YVR on the radar. LOL at the "attention-getting" A350!

Yes, Hong Kong Airlines competes very aggressively on price. At one point, they were offering round trip HKG-DAD fares at HKD600 (around $100 Canadian). HKG-YVR fares will definitely drop if they enter the market.

[nname]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

I think this really is a case of when not if

I've heard airlines from Hong Kong allowed 28 weekly into Vancouver. So CX use them all up with this increase?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

I remember when AC rouge'd YVR routes to SFO and LAX, thankfully corrected. Why did they do that in the first place?

They mistakenly thought the routes were more profitable as leisure, rather than business. As seen from customer reaction (most notably from Rob Lowe) they were wrong.

I wonder why they don't operate a Rouge 767 in one rotation with cheaper pricing and market the mainline flights to business, but its probably splitting hairs.

PS my last AC flight LAX-YVR was a boarding gongshow thanks to the renovated terminal at LAX which prioritizes ancilliary revenue over functionality. Deplaning passengers were having to weave their way through the lines of pax and luggage waiting to board their plane. Awful airport.

[LeftCoaster]

What in the world is going on at YVR right now? The announcements are coming fast and furious! CX going 17 per week, CZ going 777 year round, MU adding Nanjing and AM adding frequencies! Top it all off with a HongKong Airlines rumour and it's been a frantic 48 hours!

Originally Posted by nname

China Eastern had applied to move existing Shanghai-Vancouver to Kunming-Nanjing-Vancouver... 3x weekly

So this is the plan?

8x PVG-YVR
3x KMG-PVG-YVR
3x KMG-NKG-YVR

Total 11 weekly from PVG, 6 weekly from KMG, 3x weekly from NKG

Is this one of the new destinations that Johnny hinted before?

Well that was unexpected. I guess the PVG frequencies will need to go to the 77W or 330-300 if they want to keep up the PVG-YVR capacity, which I'm sure they do.

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Chongqing is what I'm hearing.

Chongqing? That would be fantastic. I would assume that would be an Air China route?

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Additional flight YVR-MEX added Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays departing at 0700 arriving in MEX at 1425.

So the route goes to 10 weekly with the daily red eye still in place.

Looks like all flights will be operated by 73H aircraft so more seats as well.

This plus the China Southern is really going to put a lot of capacity on YVR-MEX. Hopefully CX puts some connecting feed through so it's not all just existing O&D.

[mezzanine]

Yeah, my guess is that Airbus is finally delivering the long range A350 XWBs to waiting customers and that airlines are finally considering the "long, thin" routes that YVR/787s/A350s may excel at.

Here is another happy customer as we speak..

Thai Airways International (THAI) has become the eighth operator of the A350 XWB, following the delivery today of the first of 12 aircraft set to join the carrier’s fleet. The aircraft delivered today is being operated on lease from US-based CIT.

After an initial period flying on regional services between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, the aircraft will be deployed on long haul flights soon thereafter, starting with the Bangkok-Melbourne route.

Altogether THAI has acquired 12 A350-900s with four of these are being purchased directly from Airbus, with the other eight aircraft being acquired under lease agreements.

The national carrier’s president, Charamporn Jotikasthira said recently that the new long-haul aircraft would enable it to relaunch flights to to North America. But the destination focus is likely shift from major cities like Los Angeles and New York to those with a shorter flight time and less intense competition such as Seattle and Vancouver.

But a key hurdle facing THAI’s return to the US however, is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) downgrading of Thailand’s safety rating. An unsatisfactory audit by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) led to Thailand being audited by the FAA and subsequently downgraded to Category 2 last year. Until the country returns to Category 1 status, THAI will be unable to launch any new routes to the US.

A catch-22 favouring YVR. Thai is eager to send out the A350s to NA, but can't start a new route to the USA. AFAIK, the FAA downgrade is not for the airline, but for their national system, and the EU hasn't imposed similar restrictions - certainly not on thai airlines itself.

[jacobparry]

Beijing Capital Airlines offering some eyebrow-raising prices in its YVR route announcement. Don't seem to be available on website though.

"From now until September 30th, travelers who book tickets in advance are entitled to preferential round-trip prices, starting at C$200 (excluding tax) for economy class tickets from Vancouver to Hangzhou, C$320 (excluding tax) for economy class tickets from Vancouver to Qingdao and C$1,950 (excluding tax) for business class tickets from Vancouver to Qingdao and Hangzhou."

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases...592177801.html

[Alpine]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

What in the world is going on at YVR right now? The announcements are coming fast and furious! CX going 17 per week, CZ going 777 year round, MU adding Nanjing and AM adding frequencies! Top it all off with a HongKong Airlines rumour and it's been a frantic 48 hours!





Well that was unexpected. I guess the PVG frequencies will need to go to the 77W or 330-300 if they want to keep up the PVG-YVR capacity, which I'm sure they do.



Chongqing? That would be fantastic. I would assume that would be an Air China route?



This plus the China Southern is really going to put a lot of capacity on YVR-MEX. Hopefully CX puts some connecting feed through so it's not all just existing O&D.

Wow. Plus 17 weekly Vancouver-Mexico City flights. I am now fully expecting daily nonstop YVR-SZX, YVR-HGH and YVR-WNZ by 2018 at the latest. This will really tamp down YVR-SIN/BKK/KUL/CGK fares as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see nonstop YVR-SIN by 2020 or 2021, and even an Etihad/Qatar Airways 789 or 359 for that elusive YVR-AUH/YVR-DOH! Taking a look at Emirates' fleet, I don't think there will be a YVR-DXB unless AC opens up the route with a 789. 1x daily A380s would shake up the market, the 77Ws are way too cramped for my liking, maybe a 778X could do it.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Alpine

Wow. Plus 17 weekly Vancouver-Mexico City flights. I am now fully expecting daily nonstop YVR-SZX, YVR-HGH and YVR-WNZ by 2018 at the latest. This will really tamp down YVR-SIN/BKK/KUL/CGK fares as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see nonstop YVR-SIN by 2020 or 2021, and even an Etihad/Qatar Airways 789 or 359 for that elusive YVR-AUH/YVR-DOH! Taking a look at Emirates' fleet, I don't think there will be a YVR-DXB unless AC opens up the route with a 789. 1x daily A380s would shake up the market, the 77Ws are way too cramped for my liking, maybe a 778X could do it.

That's a very optimistic forecast for YVR !! Too bad Turkish is more or less ruled out due to political instability, but Qatar to DOH would be great, I think. Plus all those Asian flights!!
I just wish we had a few more to Mexico (as I had mentioned, GDL or MTY) as South America seems pretty much ruled out, except maybe Lima. A couple more to the US are always welcome, especially if YVR is to become that Asia-Americas connection hub so often touted.The competition from LAX, SFO, and SEA will be stiff, I'm sure.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by Alpine

Wow. Plus 17 weekly Vancouver-Mexico City flights. I am now fully expecting daily nonstop YVR-SZX, YVR-HGH and YVR-WNZ by 2018 at the latest. This will really tamp down YVR-SIN/BKK/KUL/CGK fares as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see nonstop YVR-SIN by 2020 or 2021, and even an Etihad/Qatar Airways 789 or 359 for that elusive YVR-AUH/YVR-DOH! Taking a look at Emirates' fleet, I don't think there will be a YVR-DXB unless AC opens up the route with a 789. 1x daily A380s would shake up the market, the 77Ws are way too cramped for my liking, maybe a 778X could do it.

Don't hold back!! I bet we see SIN before that.

And for Transborder look for Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Raleigh, Austin, Cleveland and Tulsa as well! Lord knows those are huge enough markets to warrant direct YVR flights!

[excel]

Why is South America ruled out?

[casper]

Originally Posted by excel

Why is South America ruled out?

Economy in Brazil is in trouble. For various internal reasons. End result is many airlines are having trouble maintaining existing routes into Brazil. If you take Sao Paulo airport as an example it only has two Asian airlines. Korean Airlines from Soul via LAX and Singapore Airlines via Barcelona. Both airlines are pulling out of Brazil in October.

The rest of South American is diversified but natural resources are still significant and growth in that area is marginal. The fact Air Canada operates the Toronto flight to Lima as a rogue flight says something about the route.

Basically South American is not in growth mode. I think airlines are more likely to focus on how to maintain the routes they have now instead of expanding.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Don't hold back!! I bet we see SIN before that.

And for Transborder look for Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Raleigh, Austin, Cleveland and Tulsa as well! Lord knows those are huge enough markets to warrant direct YVR flights!

If you're being serious here, the surely Charlotte NC would be on the list. Huge banking centre, smaller metro pop than Vancouver,
but a big AA hub going to Mexico, Europe and all over the Caribbean. $$$$. ... (were you joking about Tulsa? Surely)
Nothing to Asia. Yet.

[Hot Rod]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

Don't hold back!! I bet we see SIN before that.

And for Transborder look for Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Raleigh, Austin, Cleveland and Tulsa as well! Lord knows those are huge enough markets to warrant direct YVR flights!

not to be picky, but I would think Oklahoma City-YVR instead of Tulsa. ... OKC is a much larger market and lacks direct international connections.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Hot Rod

not to be picky, but I would think Oklahoma City-YVR instead of Tulsa. ... OKC is a much larger market and lacks direct international connections.

Hey Hot Rod, as an American yourself, what do you think might be some other yielding routes out of YVR? I mentioned Charlotte, would that work? (Johnny, did you mean Charlotte when you said Raleigh?)
But what other large American markets could Vancouver serve? (This would mostly be for E Asia, naturally.)

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by Hot Rod

not to be picky, but I would think Oklahoma City-YVR instead of Tulsa. ... OKC is a much larger market and lacks direct international connections.

You are right OKC it is! And add St Louis, Albuquerque and Nashville too!! Yeah!

[SFUVancouver]

Charlotte would be a great route, not just because it is significant and fast-growing market, but because it is American's second largest hub. Plus, it's a pretty great city! I've been down there regularly for work over the last year and absolutely plan on returning for pleasure in the future. A direct flight would have been great.

A direct Atlanta flight is also a flight that would benefit Vancouver well. Similar reasons as Charlotte, but with ATL having an even larger economy and more significant hub status as the busiest airport in the world and Delta's megahub. Atlanta is also an awesome city and one that I'll also definitely one that I'll visit for pleasure after having travelled there for work.