Aussie Airlines and YVR

[Double Wasp]

I am really surprised that there is not an Aussie airline offering direct or even a convenient connecting service, through Hawaii or Fiji for example, to Vancouver. Just got back from the great white north a few months ago, the only airline offering a direct service is Air Canada and it was packed, both ways. Otherwise I would have had to go through mainland USA or NZ and this would add a lot of time to the travel. There has to be a market for this, even if in these slow economic times, maybe just seasonal for the skiing. There are Olympic games coming up in 2010. One would think there has to be some money to be made. I know that Qantas used to fly there but am not too sure why they stopped.
Comments?
DW

[chimbu warrior]

A few months ago would have been the height of ski season, when you could fill any flight.

It is the other 8 months of the year that airlines don't like. QF operated there until recently, and I was under the impression that via AKL on Air NZ was still an option.

A magnificent destination, and wonderful people.

[Double Wasp]

Thanks for the reply.
Sorry I should have been a little more specific. I am talking mid October to mid Nov. that is a little before the skiing season starts and the flight was still full, I have also flown on the same route in June and would have to say 85% full. I have checked on Air NZ would be nice to see Auckland but there is not much difference in travel time between Auckland to Vancouver and Sydney to Vancouver but there is a fair bit more time added getting to Auckland and making the connection. I am just a little surprised that there is only one direct link is all. I would say the route is a little under used as there used to be a bit more competition and it seemed to do well. Even a seasonal offering might be ideal through VAus, if it ever gets going, or Jet Star, with a stop in HNL something.
In a financial crisis one should really be looking for opportunities to grow as well as ways to cut back. Canada has the same type of baby boomer population with lot of people ready to retire, crisis or no, and they enjoy traveling.
Just thinking out loud really.
DW

[Connaught]

QF has only had a codeshare with united (i think its united) into YVR, and that stopped in LAX

in all the years i lived in YVR i never saw or heard of a QF airplane in YVR

when i worked with Air Canada getting employee flights to Aus was not easy, the Air Canada flights usually were full if not very close to, mind you that was on an a340-500 , not the new 777-200er or-300 they got on the route now

[chimbu warrior]

Might want to get those eyes checked Connaught. I regularly saw a Qantas B744 in YVR a year ago.

[Wod]

I have family in Ontario, so have made a few visits to Canada.

Nice country. Nice people.

QF have been to YVR with 707 and 767 (and my memory says YYZ as well).

Then 747s made codeshare a more attractive option.

I hope Jetstar do Canada when they finally get up and running into North America in a few years.( I assume they'll concentrate on LAX first.)

[Disco Stu]

Chimbu, it wouldn't surprise me if Connaught was looking for an aircraft with QUANTAS on the side:E:E

[PBY]

Canada 3000 used to do these flights (YVR-HNL-Fiji-Sydney). We used to be full. I guess since that time (2001), nobody else picked the route up.

[prunezeuss]

Pax loads may be high but yields are low.
It is essentially a seasonal leisure market with little high yield J/C pax.
Every one has tried hard to make it work.
Even cargo isnt enough to offset low yield.

[tasdevil.f27]

I flew to YVR in Nov 07 via Auckland, as Air Canada hadn't started direct flights at that stage. Was a long trip having to go through New Zealand. Over 20 hours:bored:

Went back in April 08 on Air Canada direct from SYD & it was packed over and back. Being only 14 odd hours to was great.

As others had said, great country! and the 777 :ok:

oh, October is when most young people head over to get jobs for winter at the resorts.

[MELKBQF]

QF used to do seasonal 747 flights as an extension of its SFO service. I flew YVR-SFO on QF back in 2007.

[Double Wasp]

I would think the extension of HNL-YVR route would work for Jet Star even if it is only seasonal considering they are nearly there anyhow.
I am just surprised, well not too surprised actually, that nobody is thinking of this with the Olympics coming in 2010 to YVR. Would think you would want a piece of the pie if they are starting to hand them out. Would have to start advertising pretty soon since most of the tickets are probably gone for the top events already. People will already be thinking about how they are going to get there.

Tasdevil wrote "oh, October is when most young people head over to get jobs for winter at the resorts."
I do realize when the hiring is taking place to work on the resorts. I checked the ski lift operator box about a decade ago on my resume. We are probably talking of about 500 people or so getting hired so I could understand if they all showed up for the same AC flight but it was packed both ways. A friend of mine who happens to work for AC says that flight is always slammed. Hard to get on with a pass never mind an upgrade to business no matter what time of year it is. Just thinking of them and how to open up a little space for some visitors. My travel agent says Air Canada considers September to November to be its slow times for this route.

Not trying to stir ya up too much but letting you know that although I was born at night it just was not last night. ;)
Cheers
DW

[Diesel Fitter]

in all the years i lived in YVR i never saw or heard of a QF airplane in YVR

In all the years I lived in YVR QF flew there several times a week.
Sometimes via SFO. Sometimes via HNL.

They maintained a significant downtown presence with a sales and reservation office on the cnr of Georgia and Howe on the ground floor of the Hotel Vancouver. It was always busy.

Must have been before your time son.

[Connaught]

mmmmmmmmm my bad, sorry bout that fellas, i shall consider myself corrected (has been about 11 years since i lived there)

however i am sure that 6 years ago Air Canada loads to Syd and back to YVR where good, and pass travel was difficult at the best of times

[Wunwing]

I flew to YVR with QF on both B707 and B747s. QF also flew to YYZ for a time with B767s.
Over the years they flew in from HNL,SFO,PPT and LAX.

The problem for QF is that the route does not sustain a daily service, so there is a problem with crew down time and a necessity to position crew .

Also once they arrive they have no onwards code share, as AC is Star and QF is One World.

There is also the problem that the Yanks who up to recently at least, insisted on transits going through US immigration, which pissed people off, so a lot of pax went via HKG or NRT.

All up not a good route for year round profits and numerous attempts have proved that.

[Diesel Fitter]

There is also the problem that the Yanks who up to recently at least, insisted on transits going through US immigration, which pissed people off, so a lot of pax went via HKG or NRT.

Spot on Wunwing - until you've BTDT it is quite unbelievable that Canada has willingly ceded sovereignty over part of it's own terrritory in the YVR terminal to the United States. Quite bizarre having your prints involuntarily taken in BC for Bushco's War on Terror I can tell you.

[Connaught]

US Customs is there for departure from a canadian port with a destination in the States

at least 6 years ago it was, i cleared US customs in YYC to LAX - mind you at the time Canadians didn't require a passport or visa to enter the US

[Tree]

Diesel Fitter & Connaught,

Pre-clearance to the USA from Canada is a courtesy and a privelege. It means you do not have to clear at destination which can be inconvenient, time consuming and frustrating; especially after a long flight. Example: the tedious and often unpleasant clearing at SYD (been there done that many times). It's a fair dinkum privelege not many countries have. Try arriving in the USA from Mexico!

The pre-clearance officials at Canadian Airports are American, not Canadian. Once you are past the pre-clearance officials that part of the terminal is technically in the USA and you are technically in the USA. If you miss the flight and wish to return from that area you will have to clear Canadian customs since you were technically in the USA. It's nothing to do with sovereignty.

See ya later mates.

[peuce]

I had hoped that V Australia might have chosen Seattle as it's US hub. Easy to get on up to YVR for Alaska cruising season and onto other US cities. I would have thought there was a market for passengers who didn't want to transit through LAX. But, I suppose there's all sorts of other operational and commercial reasons to stick with LAX

[Connaught]

tree

i know that the us customs agents in YVR YYC YEG etc etc are American and american customs, no one else in the world can be that unhappy :E

i am Canadian and last time i went yyc to lax we didn't have a choice BUT to clear US customs prior to departing Calgary there was no 'convenience' involved, just the way things are done

[Animalclub]

Not all flights to USA from Vancouver and other Canadian cities travel to airports with customs services available hence the clearing in the departure city. I know that it's been happening for 40 years.
I do believe that flights to Canada from other countries have to arrive a airports specified by the Canadian authorities thus I understand there is no Canadian customs clearance done in US cities/towns - at least this was the case in my days living in USA and travelling to Canada at least once a month for a few years.