redtop43

From now until April, AC has three flights a day YYZ-RDU but only two RDU-YYZ. Flight 7974 runs YYZ-RDU at 10:15AM, arriving at 12:02PM and 7977 is RDU-YYZ at 12:25PM. 7978 is YYZ-RDU at 4:50PM arriving at 6:37PM, and 7979 is RDU-YYZ at 7:15PM. 7980 is YYZ-RDU at 9:15 arriving 11:02. The fare (on Orbitz, all in) is about $677.

In May they start (a) running a 7AM flight RDU-YYZ; (b) the mid-day flight leaves YYZ at 2:45PM instead of 4:50PM (and turns around earlier too of course) and (c) the fare goes up to $1,011.

I'm wondering:

a) Why does the fare jump?
b) Why do they move the mid-day flight to be 2 hours earlier?
c) When they have 2 flights northbound, what do they do with the 3rd plane? I don't think AC flies to anywhere else from RDU except YYZ.

jjclancy

Because your extensive posting on this city pair has signaled to revenue management that demand is inelastic and there's plenty of room for price increases. The more you write, the worse it'll get.

D582

There are 3 flights in each direction, but they are not all daily so depending on the days you are looking, you might only see 1 or 2 flights on that particular day.

As of right now:

AC7974 YYZ-RDU 1015-1155 operates Su,M,T,W,Th,F and turns to AC7977 RDU-YYZ 1230-1414 which operates Su,M,T,W,Th,F (same day turn around)

AC7978 YYZ-RDU 1650-1835 operates Su,M,T,W,Sa and turns to AC7979 RDU-YYZ 1910-2058 which operates Su,M,T,W,Sa (same day turn around)

AC7980 YYZ-RDU 2105-2245 operates Su,M,T,W,Th,F and turns to AC7973 RDU-YYZ 0700-0844 which operates M,T,W,Th,F,Sa (aircraft parks overnight in RDU and returns to YYZ the next morning)

So for YYZ-RDU there are 3 flights Sun-Wed, 2 on Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 1 on Saturday. And for RDU-YYZ there are 2 on Sunday, 3 Mon-Wed, 2 on Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 2 on Saturday

As for the fare jumping, the cheapest fare S14STP at $266 (base o/w) expires on 30/04/2012. The next cheapest fares starting 01/05/2012 are W21XTP for Tues/Wed/Thurs at $332 (base o/w) and W21TP for Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon at $417 (base o/w)

redtop43

Thanks for the cute rebuke.

But there are quite a few connections on other carriers. And apparently AC has been willing to cut the fare for at least the next 5 months.

tracon

Seat sales rarely go more than 6 months out. Lowest fares are often found 2-4 months from departure. Look at most markets 9 months out. You will see prices higher than dates in early 2012.

ERJ170

Good to see AC updating RDU to all CRA service for most of the spring-fall.. big upgrade from the former all CRJ flights.

Now, if only they could connect RDU to another hub.

ACA321

Still don't get how RDU has that much more traffic than CLT. CLT only gets, at most, 2X daily CRJ service. While AC does not codeshare with US, I have found many people on the YYZ-CLT flights connect to US flights by having booked via Orbitz/Expedia and the like. Sure would be nice to get a CRA on at least one of those flights.

I suppose the fact that US also flies the route 3-4 times daily impacts AC's loads to CLT. Pity, as it certainly doesn't seem to do much for the price either. Fares between CLT and YYZ are always ridiculous. I can usually get a better deal by driving to RDU, and there isn't even any direct competition there.

CdnFlier

Ahhh RDU gets a CRA and YZF got it's 3x daily CRJ service cut down to 2x daily this winter? All I want is a slightly bigger plane up here!

ERJ170

I suppose the fact that US also flies the route 3-4 times daily impacts AC's loads to CLT.

I would say that probably has hte biggest part to do with it. Since AC and US don't seem to codeshare and AC would rather codeshare with UA, I would say those flights are competing flights so AC right size the flights for connections to AC banks (probably).

But one flight to YUL (even on a DH2 or DH4) would be okay.. Just looking for another destination... :-: