Is YYC a fake AC hub?
Sep 19, 2016, 8:21 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 10
Passengers numbers 2015
Hi,
For the last three weeks there has been a number of newspaper stories on the customs/immigration delays here at YUL and the published total passenger numbers for 2015 is that YUL, which had fallen behind YYC , is now again ahead : YYZ 39,6 million, YVR 19,7 million, YUL 14,8 million and YYC 14,6 million, but I Think that when YUL was behind YYC, YUL still had more international passengers.
For the last three weeks there has been a number of newspaper stories on the customs/immigration delays here at YUL and the published total passenger numbers for 2015 is that YUL, which had fallen behind YYC , is now again ahead : YYZ 39,6 million, YVR 19,7 million, YUL 14,8 million and YYC 14,6 million, but I Think that when YUL was behind YYC, YUL still had more international passengers.
Sep 19, 2016, 10:50 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,879
Sep 20, 2016, 12:24 am
#33
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,954
You've clearly forgotten Yellowknife which is only serviced from YYC and YEG.
EDIT: to add some serious commentary, yes, YYC is a hub. Not a big one, but for many of the smaller stations in BC and Alberta where you're obliged to connect in YYC or YVR on the way to anywhere, I'm sure people would rather connect in YYC when heading to YYZ/YUL & Atlantic Canada than backtrack to YVR.
EDIT: to add some serious commentary, yes, YYC is a hub. Not a big one, but for many of the smaller stations in BC and Alberta where you're obliged to connect in YYC or YVR on the way to anywhere, I'm sure people would rather connect in YYC when heading to YYZ/YUL & Atlantic Canada than backtrack to YVR.
Sep 20, 2016, 4:12 am
#34
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,869
YYC is a hub because AC says it's a hub. But the point of the post is, it's not just a slightly smaller hub that YVR, YUL and YYZ. It's quite a lot smaller. Hence "fake". But AC can, I suppose, call any airport a hub, just like WS doesn't call YVR one (but it kinda is).
Yes, people can connect to YXE and YQR through YYC, but they can also do that at all the other hubs and YWG so people are not generally going to do this unless they are being fed into YYC from a small airport in AB or from YYT. No one transits YYC from the east; they'll go through YYZ.
All three major AC hubs have lounges in domestic, international and trans-border. Even YQR has a domestic lounge.
Yes, people can connect to YXE and YQR through YYC, but they can also do that at all the other hubs and YWG so people are not generally going to do this unless they are being fed into YYC from a small airport in AB or from YYT. No one transits YYC from the east; they'll go through YYZ.
All three major AC hubs have lounges in domestic, international and trans-border. Even YQR has a domestic lounge.
Your original point was that many destinations AC offers from YYC are "better out of YVR". But you seem to have shifted tack with this laundry list of complaints above and I think this is going off the rails a bit. So let's look at some of these.
YYC-LHR? So does YHZ, it's not a hub. It also has YHZ-BOS.
YYC-LAS is Rogue - WS is likely a better choice.
[...]
YYC-PHX is Rogue - WS is likely a better choice.
[...]
YYC-PHX is Rogue - WS is likely a better choice.
YYC-SEA is seasonal and Alaska now offers mainline service year round.
As for AS, they have (most days) 3 daily departures and only one, the least convenient one of the day, is mainline. The others are on Q400s. As far as I'm concerned, DL actually has the best service on this route.
YYC-IAH is a CR7 and both UA and WS offer more comfortable options.
As for WS being more comfortable, dream on. CRAs suck on that route because they're noisy and the J product is sub-par, but a CRA in J is better than WS+ and a CRA in Y is better than WS Y. The only place WS wins is on overhead bin space.
I also find the AC flights have better timing for connections to/from LatAm and if I'm working the day in IAH, would rather be on AC8107 so I can get a full day of work in rather than the UA flight a couple hours earlier.
YYC-SFO - More comfy options offered by UA.
But again, this has nothing to do with YYC being a hub. Some might say JAL has a better product than AC; does that invalidate YVR's TYO service from hub consideration?
I'm hoping OGG gets added as a 787 route soon.