sp4294

See post#1526 above yours

gabdusch

Thanks, but I was asking about food and service.

The seats are basically the same as mainline, so if food and service are comparable it may actually be a viable option, now that we earn full miles on rouge.

And it seems they are adding more J seating to those "new" 763s, current config only has 3 rows...

doubleflier

News Releases
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Air Canada rouge Expands to Western Canada
Leisure carrier to operate select U.S. routes from Vancouver and Calgary
New Vancouver-Phoenix flights to start next winter

VANCOUVER, March 25, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today announced that its leisure carrier subsidiary, Air Canada rougeTM, is expanding to Western Canada to serve a number of predominantly leisure markets from Vancouver and Calgary to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Anchorage. Flights on these routes, currently operated by Air Canada, will be converted to Air Canada rouge service beginning this spring, as will flights to San Diego from Toronto.

In addition, the airline announced that it will introduce new seasonal non-stop service operated by Air Canada rouge between Vancouver and Phoenix beginning December 17, 2014. Existing service from Calgary and Toronto to Phoenix will also be converted to Air Canada rouge. Flights and optional Air Canada Vacations packages are available for purchase at aircanada.com and through travel agents.

"We are very excited to bring Air Canada rouge to Western Canada and launch new seasonal service between Vancouver and Phoenix. The expansion of our leisure carrier to Vancouver and Calgary, in tandem with Air Canada's mainline fleet renewal, is a key element of our strategy for sustainable, profitable growth at both airlines," said Ben Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "California and the U.S. Southwest are favourite vacation destinations for our Western Canada customers and Anchorage is an important port of call offered with Air Canada Vacations cruise packages. Air Canada rouge is best suited to compete more cost effectively in these markets where there is both a high leisure travel demand and low-cost competition.

"We will continue to evaluate future market opportunities as new aircraft are introduced into the mainline fleet and existing aircraft are released for operation by Air Canada rouge as market demand warrants. Since its launch in July 2013, we have successfully deployed Air Canada rouge to serve Caribbean, European and select sun destinations in the United States. We look forward to offering customers in Western Canada a full range of products and services offered by both airlines, each suited to specific markets on a route-by-route basis," concluded Mr. Smith.

Air Canada flights on the following routes will be converted to Air Canada rouge Airbus A319 service beginning this spring:

Vancouver to:



Las Vegas, NV, daily flights effective April 28.
Los Angeles, CA, four times daily effective May 1.
Anchorage, AK, daily effective May 16.
San Francisco, CA, four times daily effective July 1.
Phoenix, AZ, daily effective December 17.

Calgary to:

Las Vegas, NV, daily effective April 28.
Los Angeles, CA, twice daily effective May 1.
Phoenix, AZ, daily effective December 17.

Toronto to:
San Diego, CA daily effective March 29.
Phoenix, AZ, daily effective May 4; up to three times daily during the winter season.
With the addition of these routes, together with its previously announced summer 2014 schedule to Europe, the Caribbean and the United States, Air Canada rouge plans to operate a total of 54 routes, including new service this summer to Barcelona, Dublin, Lisbon, Manchester, Nice and Rome.

Air Canada rouge's aircraft feature three customer comfort options: rougeTM, rouge PlusTM with preferred seating with additional legroom, and Premium rougeTM with additional space and enhanced service on the Boeing 767-300ER and on select Airbus A319 routes. Air Canada rouge offers a unique brand of customer service designed to make every flight a memorable start and end to a wonderful vacation. Aircraft are equipped with player, a next generation in-flight entertainment system that wirelessly streams entertainment to customers' personal electronic devices. Flights provide stylish and modern cabin interiors with innovative new seats, and the ability to earn and redeem Aeroplan miles. For more information and bookings, visit: http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/rouge.html

Air Canada rouge operates a fleet consisting of Boeing 767-300ER and Airbus A319 aircraft transferred from Air Canada. By the end of March 2014, Air Canada rouge's fleet will include four Boeing 767-300ER aircraft and 13 Airbus A319 aircraft, and by December 31, 2014, the carrier's fleet is planned to consist of eight Boeing 767-300ER aircraft and 25 Airbus A319 aircraft.

Air Canada's mainline fleet renewal is ongoing with the introduction of new aircraft. In February 2014, Air Canada took delivery of the last of five new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to enter its mainline fleet, and is scheduled to take delivery of the first three of 37 Boeing 787 aircraft by the summer of 2014. Air Canada is scheduled to take delivery of a total of six 787 aircraft in 2014 and the remaining 31 between 2015 and 2019.

About Air Canada rouge

From the moment you book your ticket to the moment you're warmly welcomed onboard, you'll see that Air Canada rouge is a new way to vacation ahead. Enjoy the upbeat Air Canada rouge spirit, and our newly designed cabins. You've never flown leisure like this before.
Air Canada rouge is Air Canada's new leisure airline, part of the Air Canada Leisure Group, along with Air Canada Vacations. Together with Air Canada Vacations, Air Canada rouge offers competitively-priced travel to exciting leisure destinations in Europe and the Caribbean, Mexico and the U.S.: Edinburgh, Venice, Athens, Lisbon, Dublin, Nice, Barcelona, Rome and Manchester and multiple destinations in Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean such as Cuba, Costa Rica, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Air Canada rouge began operating July 1, 2013 with a start-up fleet of two Airbus A319 aircraft and two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. The fleet grew to ten aircraft by the end of 2013 with the addition of six Airbus A319 aircraft and Air Canada rouge plans to add another five Airbus A319 aircraft and two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft by end of March 2014, for a total of 17 aircraft.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary, Air Canada rouge is backed by Air Canada's 75-year reputation for safety and reliability and Air Canada Vacations' 30-plus year history of vacation travel excellence. Learn more at www.aircanada.com/rouge or www.facebook.com/aircanadarouge

danapop

Oh good. Edmonton excluded - again.

doubleflier

Isn't that a good thing?

I wish Vancouver was excluded from this list.

danapop

Yes and no. My options for transboarder is AC via YYC, YYZ or YVR, Westjet or UA via den.

Some direct with AC (even rouge) would be nice.

doubleflier

Totally and Tongue in Cheek comment....

But YEG is underserved, and it certainly wasn't great when I lived there, (in terms of flight options).

It's still not easy getting back to see family from various points, without a hassle, and maybe they will add some Rouge down the line and bring back LAX

- I guess Rouge would be an improvement over a CRJ.

sluis

This is a sad day for YVR. I never thought all California flights would be transferred to Rouge. There is a lots of IT business travelers between SFO and YVR and also lots of movie business constantly moving from LAX to YVR.

In addition, I think this move puts Air Canada at a disadvantage when connecting passengers TPAC from SFO and LAX via Vancouver. Would you rather start your TPAC journey with a discount carrier or do a stop elsewhere with a main carrier such as EVA, Philippines, Asiana, ANA, Singapore, etc? The answer is easy.

Air Canada initially said that Rouge was created to complement Air Canada service in routes with lots of leisure travelers. With this move, I have no doubts that Air Canada will shrink significantly in the near future and transfer most of its North American routes to Rouge. This has been happening in Australia where jetstar has taken over many many Qantas routes.

yul36

Well it was nice while it lasted. Can't see myself flying rouge up and down the coast when there are choices like AS and UA with e+. AC finally found a way to make the UA CR-7s look attractive.

CloudsBelow

Most of these were widely expected, LAX and SFO most definitely were not. Wow.
I used to wonder where they were going to send all these Rouge aircraft, now starting to wonder where the mainline will remain!

Toronto-Miami, NY, Chicago, LAX, SFO ... What else is mainline safe?

YEG USER

I must admit, I'm somewhat surprised.

I thought that business heavy routes such as LAX and SFO would be safe from rouge, although in one sense it could be argued that they've increased the amount of "J" seats from before as most of the YYC/YVR-LAX/SFO routes were previously served by E90's with only 9 J seats (319's will have 12 "J" seats).

I figured LAS and PHX were slam dunks for rouge, as well as the added flight from YVR-PHX. I also assume that all Mexico flights (with the possible exception of Mexico City itself) will go rouge. I thought that out west rouge would be used to go after "new" destinations such as reinstating YVR-SAN and YYC-SFO, returning to SNA and possibly adding flights to places currently served by WS such as PSP.

I also thought that AC might possibly use rouge to re-enter the YEG transborder market.

Maybe as more 319's are transferred to rouge some of these routes might be added.

gcashin

Very surprised to see LAX and SFO getting rouged - I figured that LAS and PHX were inevitable, but the California destinations were a surprise. That now leaves the only mainline AC flight from YYC to the U.S. as YYC-EWR.

My biggest disappointment is how little notice was provided - the change from mainline to rouge is a significant change IMO, and many people who booked on mainline for travel in May are likely to be disappointed. Particularly annoying for anyone who booked in J and will end up in Premium rouge.

gglave

Yes, but we all fly cheapest-Y on AS, AC or UA.

airbus320

Why complain ?

You dodged a bullet this round !

Sopwith

+1

Nail in the coffin.