New Routes coming; Update AC turned down for YUL - BEY route (10Jul17)
Dec 18, 2016, 1:24 am
#46
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,153
Didn't AC used to do YYZ-TLV on the 763? If so, it seems that YYZ/YUL-BEY would also be doable, and doable on Rouge - even as a summer seasonal service. IIRC this was announced within the last ten years, but it never happened.
The security angle is definitely a consideration, but European carriers seem to manage it alright.
The security angle is definitely a consideration, but European carriers seem to manage it alright.
Dec 18, 2016, 2:25 am
#47
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: BGI (ex-YYC, YYZ)
Programs: AC*G-E100K (once again)
Posts: 1,701
There is a market from the west coast if they can somehow tap into that. It's expensive to fly from Vancouver or California to South Africa. In fact when booking premium economy from Vancouver to South Africa it's cheaper to connect through HK on Cathay.
Dec 18, 2016, 6:18 am
#49
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: FRA / YEG
Programs: AC Super Elite, Radisson Platinum, Accor Platinum
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I've frequently seen YVR-JNB fares in the $1kCAD range in Y and $2.2kCAD in PY on AC/LH. Especially the former is an insanely low fare IMO considering the amount of flying (and accounting for the fact that $200-$300 of that are airport fees / taxes).
And I'm not surprised CX may be cheaper at times. YVR-HKG-JNB is only ~10% more miles than a typical YVR-YYZ-FRA-JNB routing, so it makes sense to compete for pax from the West Coast.
Dec 18, 2016, 3:24 pm
#50
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
See I'm thinking BKK would be Rouge. BKK can be pricey to get to for tourists, but cheap once there, if AC could corner the "backpackers" types it might be a pretty full flight on a consistent basis.
MNL I always find hard to grasp. Go to YVR any night and you'll see line after line of people with Balikbayan boxes, just like Delhi, they're on all flights. So the demand is clearly there. But I've asked all my Filipino friends and they all say they'd love to take PR but it's just too pricey. Stopping in TPE/HKG/PVG/PEK is a breeze for them considering most are going to MNL or points beyond for a minimum of 2 weeks.
So my question would be, can AC keep the prices at a point where people will pay?
JNB would be really cool. I've wanted to go there, it's also so expensive and whenever it's on sale it's DL or BA and I prefer to stay on Star. Beirut would be cool, never been there, an AC flight would open up award space so that's good.
MNL I always find hard to grasp. Go to YVR any night and you'll see line after line of people with Balikbayan boxes, just like Delhi, they're on all flights. So the demand is clearly there. But I've asked all my Filipino friends and they all say they'd love to take PR but it's just too pricey. Stopping in TPE/HKG/PVG/PEK is a breeze for them considering most are going to MNL or points beyond for a minimum of 2 weeks.
So my question would be, can AC keep the prices at a point where people will pay?
JNB would be really cool. I've wanted to go there, it's also so expensive and whenever it's on sale it's DL or BA and I prefer to stay on Star. Beirut would be cool, never been there, an AC flight would open up award space so that's good.
Dec 18, 2016, 4:56 pm
#51
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Aberdeenshire
Programs: BA Exec Silver, Aeroplan, Hilton Honors Gold
Posts: 1,127
Didn't AC used to do YYZ-TLV on the 763? If so, it seems that YYZ/YUL-BEY would also be doable, and doable on Rouge - even as a summer seasonal service. IIRC this was announced within the last ten years, but it never happened.
The security angle is definitely a consideration, but European carriers seem to manage it alright.
The security angle is definitely a consideration, but European carriers seem to manage it alright.
Dec 18, 2016, 8:01 pm
#53
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,272
See I'm thinking BKK would be Rouge. BKK can be pricey to get to for tourists, but cheap once there, if AC could corner the "backpackers" types it might be a pretty full flight on a consistent basis.
MNL I always find hard to grasp. Go to YVR any night and you'll see line after line of people with Balikbayan boxes, just like Delhi, they're on all flights. So the demand is clearly there. But I've asked all my Filipino friends and they all say they'd love to take PR but it's just too pricey. Stopping in TPE/HKG/PVG/PEK is a breeze for them considering most are going to MNL or points beyond for a minimum of 2 weeks.
So my question would be, can AC keep the prices at a point where people will pay?
MNL I always find hard to grasp. Go to YVR any night and you'll see line after line of people with Balikbayan boxes, just like Delhi, they're on all flights. So the demand is clearly there. But I've asked all my Filipino friends and they all say they'd love to take PR but it's just too pricey. Stopping in TPE/HKG/PVG/PEK is a breeze for them considering most are going to MNL or points beyond for a minimum of 2 weeks.
So my question would be, can AC keep the prices at a point where people will pay?
But yet find it very difficult to grasp a YVR-MNL flight with line after line of people bound for MNL every single night even on a "too pricey" PR flight that's almost always full 10X weekly?
Dec 18, 2016, 8:19 pm
#54
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for me, it would be the other way-I'd rather be in the air for 12 or so hours to NRT followed by 6 hours to BKK from NRT and then have some place to stretch rather than 15-16 on the proposed YVRBKK nonstop.
Dec 19, 2016, 12:34 am
#55
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Vancouver, BC
Programs: Aeroplan 75K | Latitude Flight Pass junkie
Posts: 1,549
Dec 19, 2016, 7:59 am
#56
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YYZ
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Posts: 16,655
It was apparently security concerns (I believe expressed by the Feds) that scotched an earlier attempt by AC to fly YUL-BEY
Dec 19, 2016, 8:42 am
#57
Suspended
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Location: yyz/ord
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Posts: 1,516
Dec 19, 2016, 10:23 am
#58
Join Date: May 2004
Location: yyz
Programs: AC*SE 1MM. a bunch of hotel programs.
Posts: 1,592
Air France, BA, Alitalia, Lufthansa, Qantas, the ME3 etc. all fly to Beirut. With the change in govt and a change in ideology, I dare say, this might happen for AC now.
Jun 21, 2017, 6:47 am
#59
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: YOW
Programs: AC*SEMM, *G, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 898
Air Canada asks authorization for YUL-BEY
Today in LaPresse (in French)
Article mentions that this route is at the top of the list for AC and that both them and local business groups have had constructive discussions with the federal government on potential opening up that route, which would be the only direct, non-stop flight from North America. Reason cited for holding back remains national security
http://affaires.lapresse.ca/economie...l-beyrouth.php
Article mentions that this route is at the top of the list for AC and that both them and local business groups have had constructive discussions with the federal government on potential opening up that route, which would be the only direct, non-stop flight from North America. Reason cited for holding back remains national security
http://affaires.lapresse.ca/economie...l-beyrouth.php