7656 replies to this topic

[LJ]

If you are interested in what's happening in and around the airport or have any concerns that is the place to be.

[VicHockeyFan]

 

New Airbus A350-900 makes 1st scheduled Canadian flight

Modern aircraft makes scheduled trip from Hong Kong to Vancouver on Tuesday

 

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...4044403?cmp=rss

 

This thing cruises at mach 0.85.  1050kmh or 652 mph.  Nice.

 

 

 

[LJ]

That speed conversion (from mach) is at sea level, at normal cruising altitudes it is around 570mph.

[VicHockeyFan]

Oh. Sound travels slower at altitude?

[AllseeingEye]

There are several variables and some modelling involved in addition to the laws of thermodynamics at play however the speed of sound is not a constant. In general it increases as atmospheric temperatures increase - and since with elevation temperatures decrease, so too with the speed of sound. 

[Kach]

Any update on lower hold room expansion?

[shoeflack]

Any update on lower hold room expansion?

Construction is supposed to be getting underway in Q3 2017.

[VicHockeyFan]

http://www.timescolo...ands-1.13560844

 

A new airline is planning to offer a new way to get to Vancouver Island’s west coast and around the Gulf and San Juan islands starting this summer.

 

Northstar Air Tours, which set up shop this year at Shell Aerocentre at Victoria International Airport, intends to offer both charter and scheduled service starting in May.

 

The schedules won’t be set, however, until the company gets Federal Aviation Authority approvals in the U.S.

 

“We’ve been ready to go for six months,” said owner Henry Emson from his office in Calgary. “Right now we are waiting. But as I say, life is full of hope.”

 

Northstar has its approvals in place from Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency to operate, but has been waiting months for the U.S. approval.

 

Emson said the plan is to run scheduled service between Sidney and Friday Harbour and other parts of the San Juan Islands as well as develop service to Squamish and the west coast of the Island.

 

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.tvzdgzuU.dpuf

 

The aircraft the company will use is a Britten-Norman Islander, which most recently was working in northern B.C.

The design of the aircraft allows for nine passengers. Its wings are fixed high on the aircraft, making for excellent sight-seeing.

 

“It doesn’t go very fast, but over the kind of legs we are talking about it won’t make much difference,” he said of the short-haul flights, noting that with the kind of scenery on the islands most passengers won’t care.

 

The aircraft is designed to handle short runways, as well as grass and gravel runways, allowing it to get in and out of places some other aircraft may not be able to handle.

 

It’s also designed to be easy on the passenger pocketbook. Emson said flights will range between $130 and $150.

 

The company is planning on running one- and two-day tours from the San Juan Islands and Seattle.

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.tvzdgzuU.dpuf

 

 

That's interesting.   For some (that do not own boats, or are not very high-incomers), the San Juans might as well be on another planet.  They are closer to us than the Gulf Islands but the international boundary keeps average US people there, and Canadians on the Gulf Islands.

[shoeflack]

That's interesting.   For some (that do not own boats, or are not very high-incomers), the San Juans might as well be on another planet.  They are closer to us than the Gulf Islands but the international boundary keeps average US people there, and Canadians on the Gulf Islands.

 

It's odd, because the Sidney-Anacortes ferry is right around par with Black Ball cost-wise. We recently explored a bit of the San Juan's...stunning place to visit.

Edited by shoeflack, 31 March 2017 - 08:00 AM.

[VicHockeyFan]

It's odd, because the Sidney-Anacortes ferry is right around par with Black Ball cost-wise. We recently explored a bit of the San Juan's...stunning place to visit.

 

Yes, it really is.  But ask any of your friends if they have been.  For me, it's mostly blanks.  And for me too.  I went there when I was like 13 years old, not since.  But I've been to every Southern Gulf Island many times.

[Mike K.]

Hmm, I think I saw that plane flying around yesterday. Cool.

[VicHockeyFan]

Curtis Grad, former Harbour Authority CEO, is the founder of this company:

 

http://modalis.ca/team-experience/

 

 

 

 

 

They specialize in privatization of airports and other transportation systems.

[VicHockeyFan]

Oh my.  Can you handle this much worse?  Where is the common sense?  Where is the one supervisor up the line that can deal with this appropriately?

 

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...ooked-1.4063632

 

 

VIDEO: United Airlines forcibly removes passenger from overbooked flight

 

A man was forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville, Ky., on Sunday, after the flight was overbooked and the passenger refused to adhere to the airline's decision to randomly remove four passengers.

 

[jonny]

United is the worst. Stopped flying with them years ago.

[VicHockeyFan]

United is the worst. Stopped flying with them years ago.

 

I'm just thinking if I'm the gate supervisor.  Thinking to myself.  "OK, we are going to give the go-ahead to forcibly remove a passenger that has paid for his seat, has not casued any disturbance.  I wonder, should I make this decision, or should I check a few notches higher up the supervisor chain to see if this is a good idea?  No, let's just do it, what can go wrong really?"

[thundergun]

How do you not address this before people board the plane?

But yes, United is really a sub-standard airline.

[Wally]

An airline exec told me recently that according to the best available research, the average consumer attributes $6 to airline loyalty. That is to say that a consumer will choose a seat on their favorite airline as long as it is within $6 of the cheapest option. If that is true then UAL can yank people off of airlines all day long and they will still be packed every flight.

Edited by Wally, 10 April 2017 - 01:28 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

An airline exec told me recently that according to the best available research, the average consumer attributes $6 to airline loyalty. That is to say that a consumer will choose a seat on their favorite airline as long as it is within $6 of the cheapest option. If that is true then UAL can yank people off of airlines all day long and they will still be packed every flight.

 

I can believe that.  Yes, it's like gas stations.

[jonny]

Usually they do that auction thing and offer up a free hotel stay and $X voucher/cash. Keep going up and somebody will eventually bite.

 

Why did they rip a guy out who was already seated? Doesn't logic state that if the plane was oversold, there must have been somebody who wasn't seated? Kick that guy off. My bet is this guy paid the super econo fare on a discount website.

 

United is just a bad airline. Have been for years. Prices are not usually that far off where it makes sense to risk an epic customer service failure by flying with United. The last time I flew with them the plane never showed up at our gate. 45 minutes after our scheduled departure time, they finally announced that the flight was cancelled over the intercom. Thankfully I went to the customer service line when it was clear something was badly mishandled otherwise I would have been waiting around for hours.

 

The time before that I missed my connecting flight because my prior United flight was late. They put me up in literally a crack shack motel on the wrong side of the railroad tracks. Screw United. I'll only fly with them in the future if I have to. 

 

It was really sad when they took over Continental, because Continental was just a well run company.

 

United is so bad. We like to complain about Air Canada, but Air Canada is fabulous in comparison.

Edited by jonny, 10 April 2017 - 01:42 PM.

[Nparker]

Usually they do that auction thing and offer up a free hotel stay and $X voucher/cash. Keep going up and somebody will eventually bite....

I've flown free on Alaska several times for this very reason. Twice I was upgraded to Business Class.