7636 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Calgary-based WestJet Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with the union representing its more than 3,100 cabin crew members.

 

CUPE Local 4070 and the airline announced Sunday night that a tentative contract agreement had been made following collective bargaining that began in April 2019.

___________________________________

 

The agreement with WestJet flight attendants does not extend to cabin crew members with WestJet Encore and Swoop. The union says it hope to reach similar agreements for flight  attendants who work for the WestJet subsidiaries.

 

 

 

 

https://calgary.ctvn...dants-1.5328448

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 March 2021 - 03:37 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Blind spot leaves Victoria airport’s new $4.3-million taxiway extension unusable

 

Solution has been put on hold by COVID-19 pandemic, says airport authority

 

 

 

 

https://www.vicnews....nsion-unusable/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 March 2021 - 11:34 AM.

[Jackerbie]

^ Slow news day? Citified ran that story in December...

[Victoria Watcher]

The federal government is in the final stages of talks with airlines on what could turn out to be a $9 billion support package for the pandemic-battered industry, says union representative Jerry Dias.

Sources say most of the airlines are calling for financial help from Ottawa but WestJet wants the federal government to prioritize coming up with a plan to safely restart air travel.

https://www.cbc.ca/n...nifor-1.5936739

[Nparker]

...WestJet wants the federal government to prioritize coming up with a plan to safely restart air travel.

Good for them. We can't continue to pay people not to work.

[LJ]

Blind spot leaves Victoria airport’s new $4.3-million taxiway extension unusable

 

Solution has been put on hold by COVID-19 pandemic, says airport authority

 

 

 

 

https://www.vicnews....nsion-unusable/

They can just do what has been done before at other airports - put in a camera at the blind spot.

[Mike K.]

That’s what will likely happen but 2020 delayed things.

Odd that it took Nina Grossman three months to re-write this story. Normally she’s a couple of days behind.

[Mike K.]

Several airports across Canada that stopped processing international arrivals have been removed from Canada's airport registry as international ports, including YYJ. This might be a COVID-19 exemption only, but several airports are fighting this change.

[spanky123]

That’s what will likely happen but 2020 delayed things.

Odd that it took Nina Grossman three months to re-write this story. Normally she’s a couple of days behind.

 

May have been asked to hold off while the airport authority tried to find a solution. Otherwise the obvious question is what idiot authorizes a $4.3M expenditure knowing that the outcome would be unusable.

[Missed Approach]

Here is the story if anyone didn't catch the news about Transport Canada removing the International title of many airports across Canada. 

 

https://www.peninsul...orts-in-canada/

Edited by Missed Approach, 18 March 2021 - 09:31 AM.

[Missed Approach]

In this article, the link to the Transport Canada ( TC ) International airport designations revision can be found in the first paragraph 

 

https://canadianavia...al-designation/

[vortoozo]

10 flights departing YYJ tmr, just 10. wow.

 

One year later, and it's much the same. Today's passenger departures:

 

Jazz: 2x Vancouver (latest departure 11am)

Encore: 2x Calgary (latest departure 12:45pm)

Pasco: 2x Vancouver, 2x Kelowna, 1x Prince George

 

Who would have guessed that Pacific Coastal would become the largest operator by # of departures; more than the other two combined.

 

The only regularly scheduled jet service for the rest of the month is the weekly Air North tag flight to Vancouver.

There are a couple of one-off 737 flights to Calgary on Westjet but those are sporadic and could change to Encore based on demand.

[Missed Approach]

A recent check of the Air Canada timetable shows a few routes part of their summer peak travel start dates are being pushed back.

 

YYC switching to CRJ9 service in June now. 

YUL on A319 starting later in June now

YYZ restarting in June now.

 

BUT ...

 

Boeing Max8 being trialed on the YYJ - YYZ route for a few days.

 

Depart Victoria (YYJ)  Toronto (YYZ) Wednesday, June 02, 2021 thru June 16 2021
 

AC 192

 

11:45 > 19:13 Boeing 737 MAX 8  4 hours 28 minutes Air Canada Bistro (Economy Class)

Edited by Missed Approach, 23 March 2021 - 11:49 AM.

[Missed Approach]

If anyone missed the VAA public meeting for the spring session.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=ntKjWgwH3yI

[kitty surprise]

Sorry if mentioned elsewhere but some welcome news from WestJet - plus a few nonstops for YYJ.

 

https://westjet.medi...f-11-new-routes

 

WestJet leads domestic recovery with the addition of 11 new routes

 

Airline's investments in Western Canada support travel and tourism in anticipation of summer demand 

 

CALGARY, AB, March 26, 2021 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced 11 new domestic routes across Western Canada. The routes will offer new nonstop service for 15 communities across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. The enhancements follow an announcement made earlier in the week to return previously suspended service to Atlantic Canada and Quebec City.  

A message from WestJet President and CEO Ed Sims, on the airline's commitment to Canada's safe restart, is available here.

"As we look to the coming months with cautious optimism, we know our restart agenda will be pivotal to Canada's economic recovery," said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. "Stimulating air travel benefits all Canadians and supports those hardest hit; with one in every 10 Canadian jobs tied to travel and tourism, the ripple effect benefits our whole country."  

The new routes include service between Toronto (YYZ) and Comox (YQQ); between Ottawa (YOW) and Victoria (YYJ) and eight new routes connecting the prairie provinces to British Columbia tourism destinations, such as Regina (YQR) to Kelowna (YLW). Full schedule details and start dates are outlined below. 

"We are at an inflection point; one that is buoyed by the rollout of vaccines, months of learning how to take appropriate precautions, and a view to Canada's beautiful summer months that allows us to spend more time outdoors," continued Sims. "If Canadians were to shift two-thirds of their planned international-leisure travel spend towards domestic tourism, it would help sustain 150,000 jobs and accelerate recovery by one year, all while seeing what Canada has to offer." 

New routes:

Route 

Frequency 

Effective from 

Toronto – Fort McMurray 

2x weekly (Wed, Sun) 

June 6, 2021 

Kelowna – Saskatoon 

2x weekly (Thu, Sun) 

June 24, 2021 

Kelowna – Regina 

2x weekly (Thu, Sun) 

June 24, 2021 

Saskatoon – Victoria 

2x weekly (Thu, Sun) 

June 24, 2021 

Winnipeg – Victoria 

3x weekly (Thu, Sat, Sun) 

June 24, 2021 

Edmonton – Kamloops 

2x weekly (Thu, Sun) 

June 24, 2021 

Edmonton – Penticton 

2x weekly (Thu, Sun) 

June 24, 2021 

Edmonton – Nanaimo 

2x weekly (Fri, Sun) 

June 25, 2021 

Prince George – Abbotsford 

2x weekly (Fri, Sun) 

June 25, 2021 

Ottawa – Victoria 

1x weekly (Sat) 

June 26, 2021 

Toronto – Comox 

1x weekly (Sat) 

June 26, 2021 

[AllseeingEye]

Mrs ASE will potentially like the direct route to SK; in fact she left this morning for Regina to spend a couple of weeks with her mother, which to date always involves layovers in Calgary or Edmonton both going and return.

[Missed Approach]

AC timetable updated today. A few more summer added flights here and there for island based airports.

 

Kind of surprised YCD ( Nanaimo ) is getting any, yet limited YYZ ( Toronto ) service this summer, and to boot, mainline A220-300 aircraft.

 

Prefect size and type for this route. 

[Missed Approach]

Well Swoop is back this summer in YYJ, well sorta.

After posting a company sourced social media post. It was pulled.

A look on their website and Victoria is back on the list

 YYJ -> YYZ

Starting May 20th service only on 4,7.

Then from June 2nd, 2,4,7, then from June 22nd till Sept, every day exp. 6

Sept 17th onwards, 2,4,7 service, ending in Oct 28

 

YYJ -> YEG

May 20th, 4,7, till June 1,4,5,7 - then after June 20th daily service till late sept. ending in Oct.

[Mike K.]

I wonder if any of the provincial clamp-downs are going to affect air travel this summer. We're off to a very bad start.

[spanky123]

I wonder if any of the provincial clamp-downs are going to affect air travel this summer. We're off to a very bad start.

 

I think that if the current lockdown extends past the 3 weeks then summer will be a write off for travel. Once we are in to mid-May and later then I doubt many people will be booking flights or planning trips unless it is local.

 

The other big issue, and one politicians refuse to address, is what happens when people start to get vaccinated. From what I am hearing the plan is full restrictions (excepting Monday's changes) will remain until everyone is vaccinated (ie end September) and even then many will still remain in place.

Edited by spanky123, 31 March 2021 - 08:56 AM.