tcook052

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1390...ngs-california

VANCOUVER, July 23, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada announced today that it will introduce a new seasonal non-stop service operated by Air Canada rouge between Vancouver and Palm Springs, California this winter. Flights to the 'Golf Capital of the World' will be operated with Air Canada rouge Airbus A319 aircraft featuring three customer comfort options: rouge, rouge Plus with preferred seating offering additional legroom, and Premium rouge with additional personal space and enhanced service. To promote this new route, Air Canada is offering savings of 20 per cent on bookings made by August 7, 2014 by using the promotion code "Palm20". Flights are available for purchase at www.aircanada.com

"We are pleased to add Palm Springs to our route network of winter holiday choices," said Benjamin Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada. "Offering world class golf, tennis, arts, culture, entertainment and shopping, Palm Springs joins Las Vegas and Phoenix as three of the top US leisure desert playgrounds served by Air Canada rouge this winter. 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."

Air Canada rouge flights between Vancouver and Palm Springs, CA will begin December 18, 2014 and will operate three times weekly until April 12, 2015. Flights have been timed to connect conveniently at Air Canada's Vancouver hub to and from our extensive Western Canada network.

niele

Thank you all for the great information. I may make the change from 1HK to row 2 after hearing about the cramped space in row 1. Although, after seeing xray's reply maybe 1HK isn't so bad?

ttw

I am travelling in Premium Rouge next month MAN-YYZ with a baby so we have requested a bassinet.

AC have advised that 1AC and 1HK are the bassinet positions in PR. We have 1HK booked for both legs.

How restrictive is this bulkhead? My thought is, there is no risk of the seat in front reclining into your space and there must be a reasonable amount of room to accomodate the bassinet?

Any photos to get a better perspective? Also can anyone verify this is indeed the bassinet position, are there any fixings visible? (just in case AC have given me incorrect info) as in the economy cabin its 12DEF and 27DEF however this could be due to the exit row.

xray

Depends on how long your legs are and whether you like bulkhead seats in general. I hate reclined seats in my face and my legs aren't so long

TheGreatestX

3 weekly isn't much to go up against WestJet

YEG USER

No, but it is interesting to see them acually using rouge to add new destinations out west and go after WS's destinations (as opposed to the past philosophy of sitting back and watching WS add service to AC destinations and siphon off traffic).

I'm still hoping that AC utilizes rouge to add transborder destinations from YEG. IMHO rouge>nothing.

HangTen

It's interesting that Delta just reported margins close to 15% and did that without any internal "discount airline" and it lets Spirit and Allegiant just do their thing.

When you get on a Delta airplane, you know what to expect as the product is consistent. That just makes Delta stronger and stronger and stronger.

It is interesting to me that WestJet is going to go after high fares markets in Europe and elsewhere in their growth and Air Canada is going after the lowest fares markets for their growth.

winnipegrev

Sorry but I disagree. International J is extremely varied, as is domestic Y where you may or may not have PTVs on any aircraft.

PLeblond

Delta's domestic market is 300 million people strong. Wouldn't you say its easier to stick to your own thing with that many potential customers. I don't think Spirit and Allegiant would work in a Canadian Domestic market either...

As for Westjet going to Europe, is there a J cabin on those? I guess higher fares aren't aren't Paid J or business people connecting through Europe on an alliance then?

Delta should be operating at a high profit level. They are flying one of the oldest fleets in the nation, with MD-80s and used 717s from Air tran. I believe they only recently retired its last DC-9 in January. It was built in the 70s!!!! I'm old enough to have been on AC's DC-9s, but I was 10.

opethfan

Sure, with the current taxation rates, ULCCs aren't viable in Canada, but the millions of passengers that fly with G4 and NK from cross-border airports each year prove that there's a market out there.

But the fuel costs are higher on those older frames, so it should even out to some degree.

gglave

From Canada, the market of business people who don't fly J is huge - Probably larger than the flyers who can fly J.

I'm one of them, along with everyone I know who flies on business, with the exception of one guy.

FlyerAl

Can anyone comment on how the bulkhead Y seats are on the Rouge 767?

LockheedElectra

Bwahahaha! +1000!

PLeblond

My point was you cannot compare DL/UA/AA with AC just like you cannot compare SQ/EK with AC. The only airline that comes to mind with similar geographic/demographic market is QF. Maybe LAN before their merger with TAM.

I agree that there is a market for ULCCs poaching into Canada, but I believe I said ULCCs could not survive in the domestic Canadian market, not from Canada to the US or sun destinations. Isn't this another reason for Rouge to emerge?.

There will always be room for a more structured mainline service and a UCC and a bunch of niche airlines in a market of 300 million. Just not in a market of 30 million that is bigger geographically than the US.

I respect your decision to fly DL and that you appreciate it, but I believe anybody still flying MD80s today deserves to be relegated with the Central African airlines and Allegiants of this world who still operating those gas guzzling, ill designed junk boxes.

PLeblond

I totally agree with you. Indeed the Y market is certainly bigger. However, I was responding to a previous poster's remark that AC is looking downmarket with Rouge, while Westjet is looking to go towards higher fares with their flights to Europe.

I was trying to describe that Westjet's move to Europe is mirroring their current offering and not moving upmarket towards higher fares. People who fly J and people who fly Y for business and connect through other carriers in the *A network to Europe is not the market Westjet will steal from AC with their move into Europe.