Trip Reports - Jetsgo SG 105 Toronto - Vancouver

Flight Information : SG 105 YYZ - YVR
Scheduled Departure : 11 am

Due to a technical problem, a spare jet was used for this flight. It had to be brought in from the hangar and the windshield windows had to be changed, causing a 2-hour delay leaving Toronto Pearson.

Jetsgo has gone bankrupt. I took this flight in late August 2004 at a significant discount compared to mainline Air Canada. We were a bit surprised how cheap the fare was.

Jetsgo operated out of Terminal 3 at Pearson :

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0012.jpg

A lot of Canada's secondary carriers operate from T3, as well as the OneWorld airlines.

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0008.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0011.jpg

There wasn't much to do in-flight. There was no free food and no free drinks for the 4+ hour flight. Digiplayers were available for rent at CAD$10 apiece. It was one of my most boring flights.

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0019.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0015.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0014.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0022.jpg

The descent into Vancouver was the highlight of the flight. The skies were clear and I could see the southern part of Vancouver as we approached from the east out towards the Strait of Georgia, then making a 180-degree turn to land at YVR from the west.

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0025.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0030.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0031.jpg

YVR

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0034.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0037.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0038.jpg

Turning ...

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0039.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0041.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0046.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0047.jpg

Vancouver is Canada's primary Asian gateway. A lot of Asian carriers fly to Vancouver only and not to Toronto, including the Chinese carriers, Japan Airlines, Philippine Airlines, etc. Here's a jet from my home, Hong Kong :

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0052.jpg

Cathay flies to Vancouver direct and also to New York via Vancouver. Up until recently even the Toronto-bound flights had to stop in Vancouver for refueling, but now the stop has returned to Anchorage.

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0058.jpg

Zip is also no longer here. I believe Air Canada restructured them out of existence during its bankruptcy proceedings.

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0059.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0060.jpg

My jet

http://www.globalphotos.org/vancouver/20040830/RIMG0061.jpg

Jetsgo's flight attendants are much nicer than the ones I have encountered on Air Canada. I was a bit surprised that low-cost carriers can survive on the Toronto - Vancouver route. It is a very long distance and I wasn't sure if the Ryanair-type model would work. The flight was quite full though but too bad Jetsgo is gone now.

These are really nice picture of the area around Vancouver and YVR.

Btw, the soup bottle and safety card would be nice souvenirs in these days - but it's still a displeasure to read "Boeing" MD-83. :o It's an MDD and will always be one... ;)


PH