FlyerJ

Westjet's 767 flights from YYC and YEG to Hawaii will now be operated by Omni Air rather than on their own aircraft.

Westjet is selling the tickets, but Omni is now the operating carrier. (Omni's name now shows on Westjet's web-site booking screens.) I assume those customers who had previously booked Hawaii as an operated-by-Westjet flight with the original flight number will be moved to these new flights.

It looks like WS didn't get their ETOPS certifications in time, so they had to pull in this charter outfit to operate the flights on their behalf. It looks like that will continue into January ... at least according to their booking engine. Who knows, though -- it could take longer until Westjet actually able to fly their own 767s.

Omni's 767s have an all economy class configuration. No "Plus" or any type of preferred seating available from what I can tell.

YYCCL3

That's too bad but not entirely surprising given the challenges surrounding importing used aircraft.

I wonder what they will do for those folks who purchased plus fares on the affected flights?

WestJet

In fact, there is a Plus cabin on both leased aircraft.

The B767-328 has 80 in. legroom and the B767-200ER has 42-43 in. We're still working out the service details with Omni Air International, so it will be a little different from WestJet-operated Plus, but certainly the service and amenities will be different from the main cabin.

Let us know if you've got any other questions.
Darren

Tarsands

Good news: Thanks Darren. Which aircraft will be on YEG to OGG December 15 ?

Fiordland

Air Canada Rogue 767-300ER has 280 seats with 24 Premium Economy and 256 Y.

Omni (per Wikipedia) has 276 seats on the 767-300ER.

There should be space on the Omni aircraft to have a premium service.

tcook052

278 all economy according to Omni's website fleet info.

https://www.oai.aero/oaiIndex.asp?action=fleet

Fiordland

What does not make sense is how those seats are configured. If the total number of passengers on the Omni and Rogue aircraft is approximately the same for the same type, I can only think of three options:
a) they have extra crew rest, galley space or lavs.
b) they had pretty evenly distributed extra leg room to all the seats
c) they have a more premium cabin

Given WestJet was saying the some seats are 80 or 42-44 that is a lot of leg room for an economy seat.

YYCCL3

Perhaps since Omni doesn't need to advertise all of their details to the general public, there are other details not available on the website.

For instance, check this thread for 767's leased from Omni earlier this year. They had a premium cabin with seats that were different from economy: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/aer-l...ne-b767-5.html

Fiordland

WestJet must have been close, the applicaiton for a permit for Omni to operate the flight is for the period from Dec 11 to Jan 9. A little bit less than one month. https://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/ruling/361-a-2015

tcook052

http://atwonline.com/leasing/westjet...er-etops-delay

The first WestJet Boeing 767 had been scheduled to start flying domestic routes on Aug. 2, but it did not start flying within Canada until Oct. 22. WestJet spokesman Robert

Palmer said he could not predict when the airline will secure ETOPS approval, but he said the wet-lease agreement with Omni will last only 30 days. “We are actively working with Transport Canada to obtain 180 min. ETOPS certification in respect of our 767 fleet, but determined that we needed to secure an alternate solution for fulfilling the first 30 days of this winter’s Alberta-Hawaii service,” he said.

WestJet has leased two aircraft: a Boeing 767-200 and a Boeing 767-300. They will fly from Calgary and Edmonton in Canada to Honolulu and Maui. WestJet told passengers service and seating will be similar to what the airline would offer on its own aircraft.

On the earnings call, Saretsky said WestJet might ask Boeing Capital to pay for costs associated with the delay. “The way our deal was struck with Boeing,” Saretsky told analysts, “any delay that causes incremental expense for us ought to be reimbursable by Boeing.” This week, Palmer said he did not have any further information on the matter.

tracon

Another article with a couple paragraphs on the subject.


Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet picked up four former Qantas 767s to launch its international widebody fleet. But that effort has not served as the poster child for turning to the used-aircraft market.

A host of challenges, notably delays at AAR’s Lake Charles, Louisiana, widebody overhaul facility, which is reconfiguring the four 767s for aircraft supplier Boeing Capital, has WestJet scrambling to meet its December target for putting the first aircraft into service.

WestJet’s challenges—exacerbated by transferring aircraft between countries (and civil aviation agency standards) and an MRO facility struggling with its first full 767 refurbishments—are the exception.

Studying

Today's YYC-HNL flight number is 3008, operated by Omni. Monday's flight number reverts to the originally planned 1860 which suggests a WestJet aircraft. Perhaps WestJet now has its 767 ETOPS certification in place.

Can someone confirm that from Monday on, 1860/1861 will be operated on WestJet's own ETOPS-certified 767 aircraft?

aerobod

WestJet will be operating the route with tails C-GOGN and C-FOGJ starting on 10th Jan, the Omni contract finishes on 9th Jan. The WestJet 767-300ERW ETOPS certification was obtained during the last week of Dec.

Studying

Thank you, aerobod!

tracon

Looks like GOGN broke down in OGG Monday.

YYC-OGG operated with a 737

WS1884 diverted to YVR for fuel yesterday