7636 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

How about we get a new airline going that focuses on providing this service, because the mainline carriers have no interest in special interest pet projects?

 

How about we put this service model out for tender, 5-year contracts?  See who applies.  The lowest bid gets the job.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 February 2023 - 01:47 PM.

[Mike K.]

The way to do it is to first get YVR and SEA to approve the slots, gates and servicing. YYJ is the easy part.

[Victoria Watcher]

The way to do it is to first get YVR and SEA to approve the slots, gates and servicing. YYJ is the easy part.

 

The other day Tourism Victoria said 20% of our tourists are from the USA.  Most from Seattle.  And they spend 70% more than others.  Lots come on the Clipper every day in the summer, but a tiny fraction come by planes via YYJ, even less to the harbour by plane.  We need to change that.   Why don't we have flights to and from Port Angeles, seaplane or otherwise?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 February 2023 - 01:54 PM.

[Mike K.]

I agree.

So we get the big two airports to agree to service this shuttle-like airline we’re planning.

And we’ll tell them a guy named Steve will be hired to find the weaknesses in our operation, and to not be alarmed if they find him sleeping, etc.

[Victoria Watcher]

[spanky123]

The other day Tourism Victoria said 20% of our tourists are from the USA.  Most from Seattle.  And they spend 70% more than others.  Lots come on the Clipper every day in the summer, but a tiny fraction come by planes via YYJ, even less to the harbour by plane.  We need to change that.   Why don't we have flights to and from Port Angeles, seaplane or otherwise?

 

GHG emissions. 

[LJ]

HERE is how to make our airport work best.

 

All flights to cities other than Vancouver and Seattle, just carry on as now.  All through flights booked, say Victoria > Vancouver > Dawson Creek on AC, stays the same.

 

BUT, we need to position the airport as the ultimate easy, flexible connector airport to Vancouver and Seattle.

 

At a minimum, we need the airlines to commit to these flights to be available daily, 7 days per week:

 

Vancouver - DAILY at least one flight per hour 6am to last flight

 

6am

7am

8am

9am

10am

11am

12noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

12 midnight

 

Seattle - DAILY at least one flight every two hours, scheduled for as close as possible to the even hours 6am to last flight.

 

6am

8am

10am

12noon

2pm

4pm

6pm

8pm

10pm

12 midnight

 

You can book these flights via the airlines normal procedures, OR you can go to YYJSHUTTLE.com and with a very easy interface and minimum registration, book with a non-refundable $10 deposit, with the balance paid when you take the flight.  If you miss the flight, you just lose $10.  Or just show up at the airport and use the kiosk right in the airport lobby, book your flight.  Airlines will try to keep the prices not wavering all over the place.  In a perfect world, the price will be the same for every flight every day, but we know that to manage demand they will need to have some premiums/discounts.

 

The pre-registering gives the airlines some idea of the loads to expect but there is almost always room to just roll up and fly on the next flight or two.

 

We need to make it more like a bus or a ferry, than an airport, just on these two shuttle routes.  Frequent, reliable, predictable, somewhat flexible.

 

I don't want to hear why we can't do this.   Comment with some ideas of how to get this to work.

You start it, I'll fly it.

[Victoria Watcher]

Perfect. We’ve got one guy onboard.

[Victoria Watcher]

This is one of the drawbacks of a combined bus station and airport.




A collision between a passenger bus and a commercial plane on the Los Angeles International Airport tarmac late Friday night left several people injured, officials said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at LAX around 10 p.m., where they found at least five people injured as a result of the crash. Four were then transported to an area hospital, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.

Authorities said the crash happened at a slow rate of speed as the jet — an empty American Airlines A321 jet — was being towed away from a gate.

https://www.foxnews....-leaves-injured

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 11 February 2023 - 08:12 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Toronto-bound flight declares emergency then drops passengers in wrong country (VIDEOS)

https://dailyhive.co...lares-emergency

[Victoria Watcher]

A Delta Air Lines flight from Scotland to New York had to make an emergency landing in Glasgow after flames burst from one of its wings on Friday.

Cory McIntosh, a passenger, filmed the wing on fire shortly after takeoff from from Edinburgh.

"It was a very scary situation, especially with so many kids on board," McIntosh told Storyful.

During the video, passengers, including children, can be heard in the background as flames trail from the wing.


https://www.foxbusin...ames-shoot-wing



Why does a large number of kids on board make the incident more scary?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 12 February 2023 - 12:50 PM.

[Nparker]

...Why does a large number of kids on board make the incident more scary?

If they all ran to one side of the plane to see the flames, they might cause the aircraft to dip precariously to one side.

[Nparker]

The solution, of course, is to ignite one of jets on the opposite side of the plane so that all the kids have equal opportunity to view flames.

[vortoozo]

Flair is adding two weekly flights to Winnipeg from YYJ, starting June 9th.

Flights are Mondays & Fridays.

 

Westjet is now also re-adding two weekly flights to Winnipeg from YYJ. Seasonal from end of April to Thanksgiving. This route was served by WS in 2021 but not in 2022.

Flights operate Thursdays & Sundays.

 

WS is also increasing Edmonton to YYJ service compared to last summer, increasing from 11 to 13 weekly flights. However this will be an overall reduction in capacity for the WS group as Swoop is no longer operating this route. Flair also operates to Edmonton.

 

Swoop's only remaining scheduled operation to YYJ is to Toronto, 3x weekly through April, moving to 4x weekly for May - June and daily starting in July. This replaced WS service to Toronto about a year ago.

[LJ]

I wish Porter would come to YYJ, maybe we should start an e-mail campaign.

 

They are a deluxe low-cost airline.

[vortoozo]

I wish Porter would come to YYJ, maybe we should start an e-mail campaign.

 

They are a deluxe low-cost airline.

 

I imagine they will at some point. They have a total of 50 E2s committed, with options for an additional 50. That's a lot of metal for a domestic carrier... They have to fly somewhere. Considering Flair has 21 aircraft currently in service, Swoop 16, Lynx 6 & Jetlines 2, that's firm orders for more aircraft than all the others current fleets combined.

Edited by vortoozo, 13 February 2023 - 10:13 PM.

[Missed Approach]

Just wanted to add the post from aero routes website with the WestJet network expansion of previous suspended routes and new ones. 

 

Just have a look of the other similar sized cities like Kelowna again vs Victoria.

 

https://www.aerorout...g/230212-wsns23

 

Also, keep in mind, during the slower winter months, it's very common of WJ mainline to sub out jet service for slower and lower Dash 8Q service by Encore to YYC and YEG, so taking 140+ seats to just 78. 

 

I've noticed Swoop changed their departure time to within the same hour as AC Rouge YYZ service. And as soon as Flair announced service to YWG ( Winnipeg ), so did WJ mainline, with twice weekly service.

 

Another note is AC is starting up twice daily service to YYZ next month, instead of the over nite turn, there will be a mid day and mid night departures. A mix of A321 and A220 as well as Rouge and AC Mainline service 

[LJ]

I'm not a Swoop, Flair or West jet fan, but I would fly Porter if it came to YYJ.

[AllseeingEye]

After an adventurous last 24 hours we finally arrived home last night a day late from our impromptu and very last minute 6-day trip to Nova Scotia.

 

I must say although we all complain at various times about the airlines - and yes Air Canada managed to misplace our luggage somewhere between Halifax and Toronto, although it was delivered as promised to my front door this morning - when it comes to those passengers missing connecting flights (due to loss of power issues on our plane in Halifax, complemented by a wicked blizzard) their processes for arranging free hotel accommodations and free food vouchers worked flawlessly at Pearson Airport and with no issues or fuss whatsoever. Easy peasy.

 

OTOH after all of 4 hours sleep on that unplanned overnight in Toronto, minus luggage and clean clothes of course, wearing the same clothes for 24 hours was not ideal...

 

Must say too I'd never been on a 787 Dreamliner - nice aircraft; spacious, well appointed - and lots of bathrooms, lol. A nice feature especially on a jam packed flight.

[Matt R.]

That’s a great aircraft, the “plus” seating is well worth it on those for longer flights.