Canadian Airport Thread II

[hehehe]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Jazz is a different company. Your flights should still operate.

I’m booked on a FCO-YUL flight on September 18. I might get screwed if the pilots go on strike on the 17th.



I think it might be included in the 21 days.

There was another article last week mentioning the earliest the pilots could go on strike was september 17. That’s right after the 21 days.

Here’s hoping the article is wrong and it’s 21 + 3.

I'm a bit worried about my YVR-BNE flight on the 16th, since it leaves at 11pm...

[msmariner]

Originally Posted by hehehe

I'm a bit worried about my YVR-BNE flight on the 16th, since it leaves at 11pm...

I would think AC would cancel flights like yours a couple days before the Deadline. Westjet did that with planes that were going overseas so their equipment and staff wouldn’t be stranded. Things got confusing in that labour dispute because of imposed Binding arbitration and then still going on strike. As someone who got caught in that mess, just be prepared for anything. Have back up plans if possible.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by hehehe

I'm a bit worried about my YVR-BNE flight on the 16th, since it leaves at 11pm...

Especially if the strike starts at midnight EST, Sept 17. That would mean 9pm on Sept 16 at YVR. Here’s hoping they pick midnight Pacific time for you !

That being said, I think msmariner is right. No matter the time, they will probably cancel your flight, if the strike date is indeed on Sept 17.

[manny_santos]

I’m scheduled to fly MEX-YYZ on September 18th. I’m honestly not sure what I should be doing at this point, though I believe I booked a fare class that has some flexibility. My outbound flight from Canada is on the 12th.

Should I cancel the MEX-YYZ leg now and book a different airline? The problem I foresee is that airlines are fussy about not having a return flight with the same airline if you’re flying internationally, which is understandable. Or should I just cancel the whole trip with Air Canada and book with another airline? Would Air Canada permit me to board the outbound flight on the 12th if my return flight to Canada was booked with a different airline and therefore isn’t in their system?

I’d rather do something now than wait until the last minute and risk getting stranded abroad or be faced with exorbitant costs to get back to Canada.

I’m not highly experienced with travel disruptions, any suggestions are welcome.

[casper]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I’m scheduled to fly MEX-YYZ on September 18th. I’m honestly not sure what I should be doing at this point, though I believe I booked a fare class that has some flexibility. My outbound flight from Canada is on the 12th.

Should I cancel the MEX-YYZ leg now and book a different airline? The problem I foresee is that airlines are fussy about not having a return flight with the same airline if you’re flying internationally, which is understandable. Or should I just cancel the whole trip with Air Canada and book with another airline? Would Air Canada permit me to board the outbound flight on the 12th if my return flight to Canada was booked with a different airline and therefore isn’t in their system?

I’d rather do something now than wait until the last minute and risk getting stranded abroad or be faced with exorbitant costs to get back to Canada.

I’m not highly experienced with travel disruptions, any suggestions are welcome.

This depends how desperate you are to fly on that specific date.

If it gets close to a strike (within a few days), Air Canada will wave all change fees and offer free refunds. That includes partial refunds for your return if your already enroute.

If they wave change fees, then you be able to log into to where you book and pick virtually any flight operated by them of their partners (United or Copa Airlines) that gets you back home at no cost. The problem with waiting is the number of empty seats on other routes may be limited.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I’m scheduled to fly MEX-YYZ on September 18th. I’m honestly not sure what I should be doing at this point, though I believe I booked a fare class that has some flexibility. My outbound flight from Canada is on the 12th.

Should I cancel the MEX-YYZ leg now and book a different airline? The problem I foresee is that airlines are fussy about not having a return flight with the same airline if you’re flying internationally, which is understandable. Or should I just cancel the whole trip with Air Canada and book with another airline? Would Air Canada permit me to board the outbound flight on the 12th if my return flight to Canada was booked with a different airline and therefore isn’t in their system?

I’d rather do something now than wait until the last minute and risk getting stranded abroad or be faced with exorbitant costs to get back to Canada.

I’m not highly experienced with travel disruptions, any suggestions are welcome.

If the airlines had a problem with you only booking one way international, they wouldn't sell them I wouldn't think. My daughter took Air France from Ottawa and Play back to Hamilton last summer, and has a WestJet to Dublin in September with no return yet, although she will have a return booked before she departs, with whatever airline works for wherever she ends up coming back from.

I think it's more the immigration officials want to see you have return plans before letting you in the country.

[samuelx88]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I’m scheduled to fly MEX-YYZ on September 18th. I’m honestly not sure what I should be doing at this point, though I believe I booked a fare class that has some flexibility. My outbound flight from Canada is on the 12th.

Should I cancel the MEX-YYZ leg now and book a different airline? The problem I foresee is that airlines are fussy about not having a return flight with the same airline if you’re flying internationally, which is understandable. Or should I just cancel the whole trip with Air Canada and book with another airline? Would Air Canada permit me to board the outbound flight on the 12th if my return flight to Canada was booked with a different airline and therefore isn’t in their system?

I’d rather do something now than wait until the last minute and risk getting stranded abroad or be faced with exorbitant costs to get back to Canada.

I’m not highly experienced with travel disruptions, any suggestions are welcome.

Two years ago I was able to make Air Canada book me on PAL Airlines and Aero Mexico for a YQB-PVR flight (YQB-YUL-MEX-PVR) because of some minor change of schedule. I did call late on a week night and the Air Canada customer service agent was able to book the six of us on their competitors (back then, PAL Airlines didn't have their current relationship with AC). The return was still on AC PVR-YYZ-YQB.

You shouldn't get any problem to make change to your flight and get booked on their competitor if you call at the right time and speak to the right person at their call centre.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I can't recall what happened during the last AC strike in 1998. Without mainline connectivity a lot of AC Express flights would be pointless.

The regionals (Air BC, Air Ontario, Air Alliance & Air Nova) continued flying. I can't imagine why they would stop because of a mainline/rouge shutdown.

[zahav]

British Airways has updated their summer schedules to Canada. YUL at 7x weekly (daily) 787 to LHR, which I think has been the case for many years. YYZ is 14x weekly (double daily) 777 to LHR, not sure if that's same as it usually is, or there were any changes. But for YVR, they are increasing to 18x weekly from 14x weekly last year. And a big increase from the 7x weekly when they flew the A380. There's 7x weekly (daily) to LGW, and then 11x weekly to LHR. All operated by 777 now. So a significant bump up in overall seats, and nice to have 3x BA flights on four days of the week. BA is really eating AC's lunch on this route, and good for them. As much as AC gives YVR lots of fun routes (ie. SIN, DXB, BKK), they are underwhelming on YVR-LON. One daily flight is paltry, especially for summer. I don't even think they use the HD configuration either, so it's 400 seats. They historically offered way more than that. I know LHR has slot restrictions etc, and I never expected AC to really grow that much more, but they've gone backwards from even 10 years ago, which is annoying. So I am happy to see BA dominate now, it's always good when foreign carriers fill the gap of domestic airline neglect lol. This happens all the time, YEG is just one example of getting more love from foreign airlines like KLM and Condor than anything from WS or AC. BA offering 18x weekly compared to 7x weekly for AC is quite the spread.

I do miss having the A380 though, it kept frequencies low but was a gem to see. But getting such a frequency bump is a good consolation at least. EK is our only hope of seeing an A380 again, I wish it would happen!

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by zahav

BA is really eating AC's lunch on this route,

If by route, you mean LHR-YVR, then I disagree.

First, this year, AC has more seats on YVR-LHR than BA (400 vs 331 a day, each way). Next year, yes, if things stay the way they are, they will drop to second, but it will be a very close second, and not the huge gap you make it out to be.

It's clear YVR is a very important market in Canada for BA. This increase is clearly a step in the right direction for them. However, most of the growth YVR is experiencing by BA has shifted to LGW, and this clearly doesn't seem to bother AC. The reality is, when it comes to YVR-LHR, BA is still nowhere it used to be, historically speaking. They will have to do a lot more than just add 4x weekly frequencies, especially when it's coupled with a downgrade from the A350-1000 to a B772.

When BA was operating double daily 744 service (345 seats) on LHR-YVR back in the day, that was 4,830 seats each way, each week, on the route.

When it was daily A380 (469 seats), that was 3,283 seats.

This year, 1x daily A350 (331 seats), that's 2,317 seats.

Now, 11x weekly 772 (272 seats), that's still only 2,992 seats, only 675 seats more than this year, and still several thousand less than when the B744 operated to YVR, and several hundred less than when the A380 did.

As I said, AC, in terms of seats, has BA beat on YVR-LHR this year, and will be a pretty close second next year (2,800 seats for AC vs 2,992 for BA), assuming they still operate the 400 seater 77W daily on the route. All they'd have to do is increase capacity to the 450 seater, and they'd be right back in top spot. It's only when you add BA's service to LGW that the gap widens, and that's my point. AC seems fine with that. Doubt they have any plans to compete with BA at LGW, especially considering they still hold a few unused slots at LHR, even with the recent YOW-LHR announcement.

Point is, when it comes to the route that matters, and where they actually compete, AC and BA are still very much in a ~50/50 split. No one is eating AC's lunch, not yet anyway.

[RomanR27]

I'm wondering if AC will add a 3x weekly 789 to YVR-LHR in conjunction with the 4x weekly from YOW.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by RomanR27

I'm wondering if AC will add a 3x weekly 789 to YVR-LHR in conjunction with the 4x weekly from YOW.

Unlikely as AC’s eastern LHR slots wouldn’t work well out west. Plus YOW-LHR will eventually be daily in summer and year-round again once the XLRs start showing up.

[Calfan12]

AIR INDIA FURTHER EXPANDS TORONTO SERVICE FROM NOV 2024

Air India in Northern winter 2024/25 season plans further service expansion on Delhi – Toronto route. Previously announced by the airline, service will increase from 7 to 10 weekly from 01SEP24, this will now further expands to 14 weekly from 27OCT24.

Boeing 777-300ER aircraft operates this route. Following schedule focuses on the period of 03NOV24 – 03JAN25.

AI187 DEL0255 – 0745YYZ 77W D
AI189 DEL1515 – 1935YYZ 77W D

AI190 YYZ0010 – 0035+1DEL 77W D
AI188 YYZ1155 – 1200+1DEL 77W D

https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240819-ainw24yyz

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

As I said, AC, in terms of seats, has BA beat on YVR-LHR this year, and will be a pretty close second next year (2,800 seats for AC vs 2,992 for BA), assuming they still operate the 400 seater 77W daily on the route. All they'd have to do is increase capacity to the 450 seater, and they'd be right back in top spot. It's only when you add BA's service to LGW that the gap widens, and that's my point. AC seems fine with that. Doubt they have any plans to compete with BA at LGW, especially considering they still hold a few unused slots at LHR, even with the recent YOW-LHR announcement.

If BA went 3x daily YVR-LHR I don't think AC would care.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

If BA went 3x daily YVR-LHR I don't think AC would care.

Foolish on AC's part as one time I recall them having three flights a day YVR-LHR. Where are they expecting a bigger return since demand from to/from China is way below what it was pre-pandemic?

[LeftCoaster]

I think AC had bigger plans for YVR under Rovinescu. They certainly seemed much more focussed on serving the western half of the country.

Meanwhile I don't think Rousseau could find BC on a map.

[Alexcaban]

All loaded in the system for next summer

YUL-NAP 788
YUL-OPO 7M8
YYZ-PRG 788

Now in order to operate these routes, what gets cut?

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Foolish on AC's part as one time I recall them having three flights a day YVR-LHR. Where are they expecting a bigger return since demand from to/from China is way below what it was pre-pandemic?

AC's never had more than 2 daily YVR-LHR flights/day.

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I think AC had bigger plans for YVR under Rovinescu. They certainly seemed much more focussed on serving the western half of the country.

Meanwhile I don't think Rousseau could find BC on a map.

That's kinda unfair. Not much has been cut out of BC except for the summer seasonal YCD/YKA-YYZ pre-pandemic rouge routes, while YVR-BKK & SIN and 789s getting permanently added to YVR-YOW have been added.

YVR-China/India is entirely outside of AC's control.

Originally Posted by Alexcaban

All loaded in the system for next summer

YUL-NAP 788
YUL-OPO 7M8
YYZ-PRG 788

Now in order to operate these routes, what gets cut?

Probably nothing. There's new 7M8s, a 789 and 2 more 333s coming into the fleet and new-used widebodies with the pair of 763s getting reactivated. What's the frequency of all of these?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I think AC had bigger plans for YVR under Rovinescu. They certainly seemed much more focussed on serving the western half of the country.

Meanwhile I don't think Rousseau could find BC on a map.

Yes, it’s pretty clear they don’t know/don’t care what the west wants. Meanwhile they think there’s a huge demand from Montreal to Naples?

[Alexcaban]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Yes, it’s pretty clear they don’t know/don’t care what the west wants. Meanwhile they think there’s a huge demand from Montreal to Naples?

I’m pretty sure Air Canada’s network planners know exactly what they’re doing. United has already been been on the route for several years. Nothing will change in their strategy plan, Italy’s hot right now and this flight will be filled with connections to compliment O&D demand. This is a win for my family personally, no longer needing to take a train from Rome to Calabria.