YXUFlyboy

With the exception of YYC-FRA, I don't think AC offers any flight out of YYC that's not better out of YVR (though you could argue the LH flight is better). WS actually does have higher frequency for certain flights out of YYC than YVR so their claim of YYC being a hub holds a bit more weight.

That, and the lack of a trans-border lounge (you'd think that's getting fixed with the new terminal but I've heard nothing) make YYC more of a true focus city like YOW and not a hub. It's just not the same as YUL, YVR or YYZ. Why do you think AC claims this? Is it just because of WS?

Wpgjetse

Yes, I would call YYC a hub. It is not a major hub like YYZ and YVR, but It was growing at a fast rate before the oil downturn. I could be wrong, but I think AC carries more pax out if YYC than YUL. Maybe someone knows the actual figures

Sean Peever

AC still defines YYC as one of it's 4 hubs.

eigenvector

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.

Sean Peever

by Ac....

And I disagree, you can get the widebody on the YVR connection.

Actually back in the day when YYC - YVR - YYZ was a valid routing I would see people do it all the time for the pod.

Jumper Jack

Hub is more of a variable term tbh... it can mean a lot of things in terms of site and infrastructure

Sean Peever

with AC it seems to be more logical than that.

Top 4 airports by # of arrivals & departures = hub
Next 4 airports by # of arrivals & departures = focus city.

lespoir

Just need to wait for another 5-10 years before there is enough population, culture taste to attract more "base passengers" (people fly in to tour, live and stay, instead of coming for jobs but never intend to stay and live). For now, AC can do without trans border lounges, because they do not need to have a lounge to only serve YYC-IAH route only, and even this route, they don't much the market share and only use a pathetic CRJ75; they delegate it to United.

Internationally they only got these three flights, LHR, FRA, NRT, perhaps they need two more international routes to justify an international lounge, but regardless, there is no international traffic volume, or less than YUL and YVR.

But once the oil industry's recovered and give another 5-10 years to build up the population (we need 1.5 mil at least to attract more international and transborde routes), to be seriously invested by AC as the 4th hub. Right not w, we are not reaching the same status yet....just a mini-sub, if you will.

eigenvector

Agreed. YYC is a hub for AC in the same way that SLC is a hub for DL. They have a lot of arrivals and departures there, end of story. That status as a "hub" doesn't imply a deliberate program to also build it up as an international gateway which seems to be more of what the OP is talking about.

Fiordland

Yes, YYC is a hub. Who would think otherwise.

It is the main hub for connecting flights into Saskatoon and Regina. Yes there may be flights into Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver but they don't have the frequency that YYC does.

canadiancow

Does that make YWG a hub too?

Diabeetus

It's hub for segment running, just like YEG and YOW.

YXUFlyboy

YOW has a lot of arrivals and departures too, but AC does not designate it a hub. "Fake hub" implies AC designates it a hub, but just because you call it that doesn't make it one.

Adam Smith

What on Earth is that supposed to mean? YYC international flights are all 787s and 777s these days, so the metal is no better out of YVR. Going from places like YEG or YXE to international or TB flights is likely to have a shorter total journey time through YYC than through YVR. If you're MRing, sure, YVR is then "better", but otherwise I don't see how YVR is "better".

As for the LH flight to FRA, I did it yesterday and would have much rather been on AC's 787 than LH's 744.

So, lack of a TB lounge means an airport can't be a hub?

There's no hard and fast definition of what constitutes a hub, but most seem to include the idea that a meaningful number of people use the airport to connect from one flight to another. AC gets plenty of connecting traffic from parts of AB, BC and SK for which it's a better connecting point than anything else in AC's network, unlike somewhere like YOW. Sure, a lot of AC's YYC connections are domestic or TB rather than international, but they're still connections.

Yes, YYC is much smaller than YYZ, YVR and YUL, but that doesn't mean it's not a hub.

Anyone who did that run just for a pod (other than maybe a redeye) was nuts - add 3-4 hours of travel time to get a pod on YVR-YYZ instead of flying direct YYC-YYZ for 3.5-4 hours. I suspect it had more to do with the fact it was a great MR - YYC-YYZ = 1670 miles, YYC-YVR-YYZ = 500 + 2078 = 2578 miles, i.e. nearly 1,000 extra miles for 0 extra dollars...

YYT82

Do you live under a rock? In addition to YYC-FRA, AC also runs YYC-LHR daily, YYC-NRT three times a week. Transborder AC flights are YYC-LAX, YYC-LAS, YYC-SEA, YYC-PDX, YYC-IAH, YYC-EWR, and some other ones. I will agree that the lack of a TB lounge is disappointing, but that doesn't take away the fact that YYC is definitely a hub in the Prairies.