Originally Posted by
smallmj
I'm fine with mainline on both carriers but both sub-brands have less than mainline legroom.
Have a good trip.
When it comes to correlating the "sub-brands"... Encore and Rouge really have nothing in common.
- WestJet Encore = Air Canada Express
- Swoop = Air Canada Rouge (Well, sort of.)
The Swoop to Rouge comparison is as close as the two carriers get, but isn't an exact correlation.
Swoop operates as a totally separate carrier and has nothing in common with WestJet other than having the same parent company. It is not integrated into the WestJet network (and therefore you'll never get stuck on "Swoop" if you fly "WestJet"), and its aircraft have livable legroom. It's focused on point-to-point leisure travel.
Rouge is integrated into Air Canada's mainline network and today is almost indistinguishable from mainline -- other than (a) the livery painted on the plane and (2) the unbearable and ridiculously tight seat pitch in Y. Air Canada used to market Rouge as a separate leisure carrier, and tried to give it it's own distinct style. They don't really bother doing that any longer. It's now just a fleet of sardine cans staffed by younger FAs that they assign to "low yield" and vacation travel routes in the AC network.