brucelee
between October and April, the only way to Ireland is by hopping around (via LHR/AMS/BOS/JFK/EWR/ORD). I know this because my folks are coming to YYZ at Christmas and I'm trying to find them a cheap flight which doesn't involve an LHR stop
A no change YYZ-(YYT/YHZ)-SNN and YYZ-(YYT/YHZ)-DUB wouldn't deter people who really wanted to go, especially because the US transfers are more unattractive these days and LHR because it involves a terminal change. Not sure there's 160+ of them mind.
The bilateral makes things hard for Westjet as they are not a designated airline (AC/TS are) and the requirement to stop in Shannon is probably not a requirement Clive B will accept. Bottom line - love to see it happen but it won't. BFS might but Zoom are already there.
Thin TAs seem to be expanding - AA are looking at expanding US-UK routes using 757s to follow COs lead, into places like BFS, BHX, BRS etc.
yyc757
Don't want to get into a spitball fight with you - merely pointing out that looking at their flight schedule Zoom flies YYZ-YHZ-LGW, one of the route we are discussing here, their YOWs and one YUL stops there too. One of the YVR-LGWs stops in YEG which is not that adjacent! So if WestJet didn't want to immediately take on Zoom, YYT might be a good jump off point where they only have one AC LHR to compete with.