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AC888 YOW -LHR gone Dec 4-6?

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Old Nov 28, 2017, 10:34 am
  #1  
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AC888 YOW -LHR gone Dec 4-6?

AC888, the nonstop YOW-LHR, is generally daily. But it can't be found on aircanada.com, ExpertFlyer, or ITA on Dec 4-6. Am I right that it's not operating (if it were merely sold out, it would show up on ExpertFlyer, right?), and any way to know why?
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 10:43 am
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Originally Posted by montrealer
AC888, the nonstop YOW-LHR, is generally daily. But it can't be found on aircanada.com, ExpertFlyer, or ITA on Dec 4-6. Am I right that it's not operating (if it were merely sold out, it would show up on ExpertFlyer, right?), and any way to know why?
Like many other routes, AC888 is "generally" daily.

The new timetable starting December 7, for example, shows daily with the following exceptions: "Except DEC 11, 24, JAN 17, 22, 24, 29, 31, FEB 07, MAR 11"

Also, no specific reasons are provided on their timetables.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 11:01 am
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Wow. Talk about predictable demand.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 3:56 pm
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When they first made FRA-YOW summer seasonal, we were told that LHR-YOW would now really be daily all winter. Ever since, the number of exceptions to the daily service seems to have increased each winter. It's going to get worse once the 763s are completely retired and they have to use a larger aircraft.

Bottom line: they don't make enough money on the route in the winter to operate it daily.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 4:47 pm
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Originally Posted by StuMcIlwain
It's going to get worse once the 763s are completely retired and they have to use a larger aircraft.
Possible candidate for 737MAX? It's within the range, technically. I'm not aware of what the load factors are like on this route, though - may be too much of a downgauge.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 6:32 pm
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Originally Posted by StuMcIlwain
Bottom line: they don't make enough money on the route in the winter to operate it daily.
This is the time of year when they pull many aircraft out of service for maintenance - presumably not enough metal to cover the full schedule every day so they rob from here and there.

Originally Posted by D404
Possible candidate for 737MAX? It's within the range, technically. I'm not aware of what the load factors are like on this route, though - may be too much of a downgauge.
Would Ottawa mandarins be willing to slum it in "North American" J rather than lie flats? My guess is that they'd rather connect. Would work for Y pax though.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 6:37 pm
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Originally Posted by D404
Possible candidate for 737MAX? It's within the range, technically. I'm not aware of what the load factors are like on this route, though - may be too much of a downgauge.
Originally Posted by The Lev
Would Ottawa mandarins be willing to slum it in "North American" J rather than lie flats? My guess is that they'd rather connect. Would work for Y pax though.
My thought as well that they might put 7M8 on it.

They could also do a mix of 788/9 some days and 7M8 on others.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 9:30 pm
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might be a good flight to cancel and use the plane on another route.
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 11:11 am
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Originally Posted by StuMcIlwain
When they first made FRA-YOW summer seasonal, we were told that LHR-YOW would now really be daily all winter. Ever since, the number of exceptions to the daily service seems to have increased each winter. It's going to get worse once the 763s are completely retired and they have to use a larger aircraft.

Bottom line: they don't make enough money on the route in the winter to operate it daily.
I honestly wish they'd drop Tuesday out / Wednesday return like they did with FRA-YOW (before they dropped winters, grr) but leave the service in place year round predictably. Especially since I need to start to go to LHR regularly again ;-)
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 11:24 am
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Originally Posted by The Lev
Would Ottawa mandarins be willing to slum it in "North American" J rather than lie flats? My guess is that they'd rather connect. Would work for Y pax though.
I will not fly the 737Max to LHRif that became an option from YOW.

I would always connect first.
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Old Nov 30, 2017, 9:28 am
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Not only 4-6 Dec...I had a booking on Dec 7 and now that has been cancelled. I am now booked LHR-YUL-YOW. Maybe not enough passengers?
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Old Nov 30, 2017, 10:03 am
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Originally Posted by The Lev
This is the time of year when they pull many aircraft out of service for maintenance - presumably not enough metal to cover the full schedule every day so they rob from here and there.

Would Ottawa mandarins be willing to slum it in "North American" J rather than lie flats? My guess is that they'd rather connect. Would work for Y pax though.
Judging from my recent trips on this flight, I think "Ottawa mandarins", i.e. public servants, are definitely a minority up front. A lot seem to be private sector, and a small but solid chunk of foreign diplomats. Don't know how many are J vs P vs upgrades. I do think there is overall volume to support at least one daily nonstop to Europe, whether LHR (doubtless more frequent end destination) or FRA (better for *A connections).

As generally (no longer always) a paid-J (or at least P) flyer, I'd definitely connect rather than do the redeye in "North American" J seats. I might do "North American" J/PE on the daytime return to save a stop, though.

BTW - not everyone in Ottawa who travels are "mandarins". And lots of public servants are no more or less effective, dedicated that private sector folks. [Sorry to be grumpy about it...but the characterization gets eyeroll-worthy after many repetitions!]
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Old Nov 30, 2017, 10:06 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by ac777
Not only 4-6 Dec...I had a booking on Dec 7 and now that has been cancelled. I am now booked LHR-YUL-YOW. Maybe not enough passengers?
Interesting (and unfortunate). I'm on AC889 (the return) on Dec 8, and cheerfully got ticket issued just 10 mins ago. Maybe they're shuffling planes in LHR; or maybe I should expect a cancellation too.
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Old Nov 30, 2017, 10:19 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by montrealer
JBTW - not everyone in Ottawa who travels are "mandarins". And lots of public servants are no more or less effective, dedicated that private sector folks. [Sorry to be grumpy about it...but the characterization gets eyeroll-worthy after many repetitions!]
For some historical context:
1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine senior grades of the bureaucracy, entered by examinations.
2. a high-ranking official whose powers are extensive and thought to be outside political control.
3. a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/di...glish/mandarin
I'm not seeing anything pejorative there.
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Old Nov 30, 2017, 12:08 pm
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Originally Posted by The Lev
For some historical context:
1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine senior grades of the bureaucracy, entered by examinations.
2. a high-ranking official whose powers are extensive and thought to be outside political control.
3. a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/di...glish/mandarin
I'm not seeing anything pejorative there.
No worries, and apologies for jumping down your throat. Overall tone ("mandarins" + "slum it in J" etc) set off my pattern recognition flags for an annoying refrain of "Ottawa consists only of entitled bureaucrats doing nothing wasting public money" that has come my way loud and clear several times this week, culminating in being passed over this morning for a (private sector consulting) contract with the apparent reasoning that since I live in Ottawa, I must work primarily for the govt, and therefore can't be competent. I think I was reacting more to that than your actual words.

Anyway, back to the topic of the thread...
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