7636 replies to this topic

[North Shore]

Eliminate cabotage. That offers airlines on both sides of the border much more flexibility.

For example now you could have Vancouver > Toronto > New York. Or NY > Vancouver > Seattle.

Those routes are illegal now.

If you think that by eliminating cabotage rules it would make for an easier/cheaper/more enjoyable travel experience, you're dreaming in colour.  *Every* American airline would have you travel Toronto>NewYork/buffalo (or some other eastern US hub)>Seattle/LA>Vancouver

[Victoria Watcher]

If you think that by eliminating cabotage rules it would make for an easier/cheaper/more enjoyable travel experience, you're dreaming in colour.  *Every* American airline would have you travel Toronto>NewYork/buffalo (or some other eastern US hub)>Seattle/LA>Vancouver

 

Ya, OK.  You think US airlines would not make Pearson a hub?   That's dreaming in colour.  It's the 3rd-largest city in Canada/USA and the only one away from the coast.  It's a very natural hub once you eliminate all the protectionist rules.  

 

But companies like Jetblue and Southwest don't have hubs, just like the discount airlines in Europe do not have them.

 

US airlines would be free to do all-Canadian routes.  And Canadian airlines could do the same in the US.

 

Eliminating cabotage could encourage more Canadian airlines as they could diversify their offerings.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 December 2022 - 10:55 AM.

[Sparky]

^ I’m ok with that. North America should be a free trade zone. Include Mexican airlines in this scenario and let the games begin.

[Mike K.]

JetBlue has a hub at JFK, known as T5.

Southwest has hubs all over the US.

I think what watcher meant was those airlines prefer direct routes rather than connecting via their hubs. But they do connect if necessary.

[Victoria Watcher]

They both have “focus cities” but they try not to run traditional hub/spoke systems.

[vortoozo]

False.
Both JetBlue and Southwest run traditional hub and spoke systems.

[Victoria Watcher]

False! They do not.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 December 2022 - 06:39 AM.

[vortoozo]

I'm on mobile and can't quote or share screenshots easily, however JetBlue has 6 hubs that nearly all their routes touch and Southwest has built significant connecting hubs in places like Oakland, Chicago Midway, Atlanta, Philadelpia etc.

And regarding a previous post, is 7 days a week with multiple frequencies not enough to be considered daily? That would certainly be a surprise to Porter and Flair.

[Victoria Watcher]

I dare you to find on their websites anywhere they call them hubs.

They have “connectivity” in big cities because they have large fleets and lots of flights. Bit it’s not designed as hub/spoke. Nor referred to as such.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 December 2022 - 06:48 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

And regarding a previous post, is 7 days a week with multiple frequencies not enough to be considered daily? That would certainly be a surprise to Porter and Flair.

No. Porter has never flown a plane to the west. But I look forward to their entry.

Flair is a joke, ask anyone who has booked. They constantly cancel and change flights. Very unreliable.

Now let’s let bigger airlines in too. Choice has always been best for the consumer.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 December 2022 - 06:57 AM.

[vortoozo]

Who cares what they call it.
You can buy a connecting flight on Southwest through Oakland or JetBlue through Boston on one ticket and your baggage will get transfered through. Air Canada's entry level service used to be called Hospitality Class. Despite the name, it was still economy. Whatever word they use doesn't change what it is.

[Victoria Watcher]

Who cares what they call it.

Words have meaning. Use them wisely.

[vortoozo]

Ok, Mr. "flair doesn't count as daily because they're unreliable.

[Victoria Watcher]

Flair disqualified themselves from the discussion due to their poor performance.

[Jacques Cadé]

Flair disqualified themselves from the discussion due to their poor performance.

 

^ What experiences do VVers have with Flair? Asking because I fly to Calgary a couple of times a year and used Aeroplan points to go direct on Air Canada. Those direct flights are gone after January 15, so I'm looking at alternatives to West Jet, which will inevitably become more expensive once AC's competition disappears. Anyone here flown on Flair or Lynx?

[Mike K.]

It’s the cancellations and delays that are usually the gripe.

My personal experience with Swoop left me realizing that if you have to get somewhere on time, flying a discount carrier is not the best choice. And the cost wasn’t lower than AC, when I booked, just that the flight had a decent schedule. However, delays ruined whatever advantage Swoop had had.

[Jacques Cadé]

^ Thanks. Looking around the 'net, it seems Lynx gets much better reviews than Flair. And Lynx's on-time performance is 82% (https://www.flightst...-rating/EG*/106) versus only 20% for Flair (https://www.flightst...-rating/F8*/602).

The Lynx analysis was for YYC-YVR while Flair's was for YYC-Abbotsford, so different routes, but leaving from the same airport (Calgary). The gap is so huge that the airlines' respective operations must be a contributing factor. Lynx is based in Calgary, so they might be more on top of what's happening there.

Edited by Jacques Cadé, 27 December 2022 - 12:34 PM.

[vortoozo]

I've had similar odds on Flair and WestJet this year in terms of delays and cancelations. Both ran poor operations. With regards to flights that required compensation under APPR, Flair paid out substantially faster than WestJet.

[Mike K.]

After a four hour delay, Swoop gave us vouchers to use for food, while on the flight, which had to be used that day at the terminal, and not at the final destination.

The flights attendants just threw up their arms.

[Victoria Watcher]

Southwest Airlines cancels 2,500 flights Wednesday as nationwide travel woes continue