dbuster44

After much speculations (along with some naysayers), there will finally be a real service to Paris involving Western Canada. Air France will launch YVR-CDG at the end of March with weekly frequency ranging from 3-5x weekly depending on season: http://airlineroute.net/2014/11/03/af-yvr-s15/

Do you think AC will join as a competitor in this route?

Goog to see YVR getting a 4th European carrier nonetheless, especially after VS announced it won't be coming back next summer.

stinger

I see it would appear that AF also uses the so called "slave ships" with the
3-4-3 777 in Y. Although, always good to have another option from YVR.

tracon

No. At least not for the next couple years.

Sean Peever

Would love to see AC come to the table on this route.

Considering the new fuel tax out of YYZ, their total fuel cost could be the same as the YYZ - CDG route . After all it's only an extra 1185 miles from YVR to CDG vs YYZ to CDG.

D582

I could see AC considering it with Rouge... not sure about mainline.

PLeblond

I doubt it.

Is there enough traffic from the West coast to CDG to justify it?

AF can pool from all of France etc. 60+ million people for the route.

Since connecting to YYZ/YUL isn't that difficult, I don't see AC dedicating a mostly leisure O/D YVR-CDG route.

yvr76

AF is using a 3-class 777-200ER with Y 3-4-3 at 32" pitch, PY 2-4-2 at 38" pitch and angle-flat J.

I'd be interested in this on a mainline 787 or 777, but not rouge.

theseatbelt

Smart move by Air France because it could sell the connections it has to various europe, middle east, africa and asian markets.

Air Canada would not have access to those connections to start a flight to CDG. Instead, it should focus on driving more codeshare flights or connections out of Frankfurt / Munich and perhaps then it may start a direct flight from YVR to FRA.

yvr76

YVR-FRA would be a great 787-9 route for AC

PLeblond

Doesn't LH already fly to FRA (and MUC seasonally)?

yvr76

Yes, LH used to also do YYC-FRA, but pulled out a couple years ago and AC up-gauged their YYC-FRA service from a 763 to a 333.

With the new MFR for Altitude status, just one more reason I wouldn't want to fly YVR-FRA on LH (outside of their mediocre J product).

Sebring

Seems unlikely. If AC starts a new route to Europe from YVR, I'd bet on a Star hub. Traffic to CPH, ZRH, VIE and BRU would be too thin in my opinion, so a Rouge flight would seem to be the only possibility, and not a big one for now. More likely, AC will continue to focus on YVR-Asia over the Pacific. YVR-PVG is up and running, and YVR-KIX using Rouge is pending. With the new pilot deal, I'd expect an increase to the 787 order, with a possible GRU-YVR route a possible outcome, because of the feed potential to Asia there.

Sean Peever

I'm good with any YVR - Europe for AC expansion! Just having the one option through LHR is a killer. 788, 789, 777, 333, don't care! Just give me another wide body across the atlantic to a place where I can make connections from.

agjil

Agreed...we need more European routes out of YVR.

zrh2yvr

AC ran this route back in 1996 (AC844/845) with 767 offering full-Y but using the old 25/152 config 767's (first-gen Exec First seats). I took it a couple of times and it was poorly sold - especially in the premium fares. This route is truly a bottom feeding tourist route and Air France really will have no YVR-based premium traffic and perhaps a bit of traffic transiting CDG who happen to book the route due to scheduling / Skyteam loyalty. At most - it will compete with Air-Transat.

I'm not sure that Skyteam is our likely new loyal group (compared with OO which makes a bit more sense) so my thoughts are that it will not be much competition with AC on the premium sector but on the Europe-bound tourist traffic, it will just be one more carrier in the mix.