Westjet expands with 180 min ETOPS

[le soixante neuf]

So...Westjet is heading to Honolulu and Maui.
180 minute ETOPS has been granted for the 737NGs. This December, WS starts a daily sked to the Sandwich Islands, 5 days a week to PHNL and 2 days a week to PHOG.
I'll bet my $400 cheque from King Ralph that EGKK is added next spring.

I think we need a bigger flag on the on the empannage if we're going to be carrying it all over the world.

le69

Nice jackets boys...go get em.

[Twizzler]

Goood, more flights to Hawaii from YVR.

I'll bet my $400 cheque from King Ralph that EGKK is added next spring

Yet another saturated market. I would imagine that they would either fly direct from YHZ or stop in KEF for gas??

[le soixante neuf]

I imagine a stop in Halifax would be the order of the day. It's not so saturated as YYZ -LGW and offers the airline quite a bit of flexibility as to guest/fuel loads. There would also be connecting guests from YYZ, YUL,YOW, YYC and just about anywhere else. The price of fuel would be likely double in KEF what it would be in Halifax, with no opportunity to add revenues customers.

Up until the collapse of C3, Halifax always had widebody service to Europe, to compete with AC.
Canadian Pacific/Canadian flew DC-10s to AMS, followed by KLM/Martinair themselves. Royal, Transat and C3 all flew across the pond with varying degrees of frequency and types of aircraft.
Icelandair also flew nightly to Rekyavik, with connections to various European destinations.
No sir...opportunity is presenting itself here...like I said though, if we're going to carry the flag...we should get a bigger one.

le69

Nice jackets...go get em boys...

[MarkD]

YYT might be a good place to stop since it reduces the transatlantic leg to 3755km GC and westbound that could make quite a difference in payload.

[brucelee]

Let's put it this way, if they have to stop for fuel anywhere, not good. People don't like that eh? The North Atlantic is already busy. Even leather seats won't help. How much will they charge for the pretzels and booze? Good luck. No, really.

[Twizzler]

Besides, YHZ already has year-round scheduled service to LGW (not AC). Not to mention GLA, and BFS (seasonal)

[MarkD]

brucelee

stops don't seem to be inhibiting Zoom's growth much.

At least Westjet could market the internal legs (YYZ-YHZ/YYT) which I don't think Zoom does?

[brucelee]

MarkD.
That's true. Actually AC also does YHZ-YYT-LHR return seasonally. I just don't know if Ireland will be that popular to get to by hopping around. I believe WJ management are still studying it as well. Private Air does transatlantic in an A319 non stop. Their service however is business class oriented with full service and big chairs, big pitch. They seem to be doing well with that. WJ seem to be in need of doing something different from the original model. I'd say they have iether seen the light or are in desperate need of it.

[yyc757]

MarkD:

Zoom's double stops are not the same. A double stop is when you serve two nearby departing markets or arriving markets.

Examples of double stops:

YVR-YYC-PUJ
YVR-MAN-LGW
YYC-POP-PUJ

And comparing a 767-300ER to a 737-700 is an apples and oranges comparison and therefore carries no wieght. For each aircraft type there is an optimum way to use it to achieve maximum profitability. WJ has be extremely successful to this point.

But good luck trying to haul people all over hell's half acre to make a buck. Flying YYZ-YHZ-LGW increases trip distance by 6%. Additionally, WJ's smaller aircraft has relatively higher per seat costs versus a larger aircraft. Out of YYZ, YOW, and YUL WJ will not be able to compete with price and will not be able to compete with service.

But good luck trying! :E

[brucelee]

Nothing will stop Clive!
AC might be getting rid of some 767's if he wants them.
:D

[MarkD]

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 :D

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.

[yyc757]

MarkD: no spitballs were intended... you make some good points particularly regarding YYT...

[MarkD]

yyc757

not a good way to start the weekend is it :D

[CaptW5]

Unless and /or until WestJet gets the go-ahead from the powers that be (i.e Ottawa) it is a moot point.

We do not have an Open Skies agreement with too many countries, and I have not seen anything on any bi-lateral giving WestJet authority to do any scheduled transAtlantic flying.
So, unless there is a way to do it as a subcontractor to somebody else, or in the form of charters, I won't see it happen soon.
In the case of charters there is plenty of seasonal demand to smaller European centers that do not get a lot of attention (because it does not warrant widebody service), but in that case it would depend on feed to/from other Canadian cities to either YHZ or YYT.

[Canadian Beech]

Gimme a Friggin job already, man!:{

[drageraser]

AC has YYC - LHR. We left just after them and stopped in YFB and continued on and passed them twice. The downtime shouldn't be a factor if you have good ground support that will turn the plane around in less than 30 mins.

[meaw]

Drageraser,the YYC-LHR is nonstop so how can you pass them twice?