DNAwizard

AC just announced some new international routes, some on 789 mainline, some on 767 Rouge.

From the AC website http://aircanada.mediaroom.com/index...=43&item=1064:


Air Canada Circles the World adding Six New Destinations to its Expanding International Network

New non-stop routes starting for summer 2017 include:

Toronto to Mumbai and Berlin;
Montreal to Algiers and Marseille;
Vancouver to Taipei and Nagoya.

MONTREAL, Sept. 28, 2016 /CNW/ - Air Canada today announced the addition of six new destinations to its international network, including year-round Boeing 787-9 service between Toronto and Mumbai and between Vancouver and Taipei. The new services will launch for summer 2017, with the Montreal-Algiers and the Vancouver-Taipei routes subject to government approvals.

"Air Canada is pleased to offer customers these new non-stop routes to exciting destinations around the world. While extending our global reach, they also represent a further deepening of our already substantial international network," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

"Toronto-Mumbai is our third route between Canada and India starting with the launch of Toronto-Delhi service last fall, and Nagoya will be our fourth airport in Japan. With these new services, we will now operate 21 routes between Canada and Asia, including the Middle East. Berlin and Marseille will bring the number of European routes we serve to 44 next summer, including four cities in France. Algiers will be our second destination in Africa, which makes Air Canada one of only a small number of global carriers flying to all six inhabited continents," said Mr. Smith.

Air Canada will be the only carrier to offer non-stop service between Canada and Mumbai and the only Canadian carrier to operate non-stop service to Taipei. These routes will operate year-round with Air Canada's state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The aircraft feature 30 International Business Class lie-flat seat suites, 21 Premium Economy and 247 Economy Class seats, with upgraded in-flight entertainment at every seat throughout the aircraft.

The new seasonal routes to Berlin and Nagoya will be the only non-stop services between these cities and Canada. The service to Algiers will be the only non-stop flight by a Canadian carrier between Montreal and the North African city and the Marseille service will be the only non-stop flight operated by a network carrier between Marseille and North America. All will be operated with an Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER, featuring Premium Rouge and Economy cabins.

All flights are available for sale immediately with special introductory pricing, except for Vancouver-Taipei and Montreal-Algiers which will be available for sale in the near future pending government approvals. All new routes are timed to optimize connectivity at Air Canada's Canadian hubs to and from major destinations in Canada and North America. All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits.

keitherson

AC must be very confident of Vancouver-Osaka's performance to double down on seasonal services to Nagoya, similarly of Toronto-Delhi to launch Toronto-Mumbai.

Algiers as a destination for AC is trying to compete against Air Algerie's service to Montreal, similarly to China Airlines and EVA's service to Taipei.

But Montreal to Marseille and Toronto to Berlin... I don't know about those. And Vancouver to Taipei seems crowded: there's 747s on that route daily.

DNAwizard

Agree with everything you said. Taipei surprised me since that route is well served already and EVA has very decent fares. Not sure how AC will perform on this route.

I has hoping for a Berlin route but then saw it was Rouge... So no; not for me.

Montreal-Marseilles should do well I think.

pewpew

Oh, is that supposed to be a draw?

Ugh, it is? That's terrible. I might have to do the BER-YYZ in 2018 when I move back to Canada so that I can get 3x32kg in Y...

agjil

What the...TXL is a Rouge destination?

keitherson

It's very competitive, like winning Canada's top business class carrier awards.

Kraafish

It's super impressive, I heard they also have Canada's top business AND economy class airline catering. Now that's unheard of ^ Go David!

I am shocked about YVR-NGO to be honest, CTS would be a much better option, or even FUK (hehe). Not surprise about YYZ-BOM, but surprise about timing since I thought they would wait to see how YVR-DEL perform first.

yyznomad

Agreed on CTS over NGO.

But having said that, I will never fly RV on a international long haul.

acysb87

Like others here, was pleased to see Berlin added.
Like others here ,was surprised to see that route serviced by scRouge

Ah well, FRA/MUC it is and will rail the rest of the way. Using latitude flight passes to Europe on scRouge is not for me

vernonc

That's right. EVA has some very good fares specially in PE. And they also fly non-stop YYZ-TPE three times a week. Good option for me to TPE assuming they are competitive on pricing at least.
YYZ-BOM should do well. Lots of expats from the ME that are now resident in Canada but are originally from BOM/GOI etc and would rather avoid DEL. The best fares on this route though with one stop is TK and EY though every European carrier offers one-stop to BOM.

tcook052

Interesting to see Berlin on the list as 2017 could be an interesting year for airports in the German capital as TXL is supposed to remain open until end 2017 when BER (Berlin Brandenburg Airport ) is to come online after years of delays.

Tifosi

I was excited to see Berlin on this list. My absolute favourite city in Europe. Such a bummer that it's a Rouge flight.

I'm genuinely confused by NGO as a Rouge route. I was there last year and it's definitely an important economic/manufacturing hub, but a leisure destination? What am I missing?

YYC009

I believe KIX and NGO are to bring leisure Japanese visitors to Canada.

Tifosi

Thanks, that makes way more sense. Now that I think about it, whenever I've been in Japan and mentioned I'm from Canada, the Japanese reaction has often been them telling me excitedly about the time they visited Vancouver or expressing their desire to visit Vancouver one day. I was too stuck on seeing it from the Canadian side that I didn't even considered the traffic in the opposite direction.

jerryhung

good to see YVR-TPE back after 14 years (despite BR had such stronghold on YYZ-TPE and old 747 on YVR-TPE)