Originally Posted by
MicSanToro
I probably don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but I would think that running a direct flight between two large population centres (Kuala Lumpur is 7.2 million, Jakarta is 30.2 million [more than twice that of Bangkok which is 14 million]) and Vancouver (2.5 million), even if it's only once weekly, when there is not a single competitor on the route, would be a financially smart decision for an airline. If AC ran the only direct route between KUL and a North American airport and CGK and a North American airport, I would think those flights would be full.
Ah, the last line is key. A full flight is not always a profitable flight. Otherwise a YVR-MNL would be a shoe-in. You have to have a flight that makes money, not that fills seats. Premium traffic and premium fares is key. If everyone wants a basic fare and is not willing to pay for Business Class, it will not make money. You can't just say KUL is 7million and CGK is 30million and say, whoa, we need a flight there. Are these people flying? Are they paying high yield fares? These are the questions to ask. And I don't know of any Air Canada overseas route that operates once weekly; it just does not make sense.