Air Canada planes fly faster than United Airline planes?
Jan 15, 2018, 10:14 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
For O/D pax schedule padding ends up being a wash, but it does make a big difference for connections. It also helps prevent delays from cascading through the airline's operations. Greater reliability, but lower aircraft utilization when everything is running perfectly.
Jan 15, 2018, 11:47 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA
Posts: 324
I used to fly that route all the time on AC (UA's flights weren't conducive to getting to work in Calgary at a decent hour)....Then, the diversionary airport was Great Falls MT.
Jan 15, 2018, 12:37 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Do Air Canada planes fly faster than Delta Airlines planes? If Delta flies faster, I'm switching to Delta as of this thread.
(also, can Ben Johnson run faster than an Air Canada plane?)
Last edited by yyznomad; Jan 15, 2018 at 1:06 pm
Jan 15, 2018, 12:53 pm
#19
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,322
For O/D pax schedule padding ends up being a wash, but it does make a big difference for connections. It also helps prevent delays from cascading through the airline's operations. Greater reliability, but lower aircraft utilization when everything is running perfectly.
Padding can result in an extra 4 hours on a connection, and waking up at an ungodly hour.
Jan 15, 2018, 2:41 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2014
Location: YYJ/YYT
Programs: AC 75K (*G), NEXUS
Posts: 652
SparseFlyer, this is the answer. Note also that AA schedules DFW<>YYC for about the same time as AC does on the IAH<>YYC despite DFW being about 30 minutes closer to YYC.
My AC flights to/from IAH have been late far more often than my UA flights. But the actual elapsed time on the flights has been pretty similar. Whether AC actually flies the CRAs these hypothetical 20 mph faster or not, I don't know.
YXE is also sometimes a fuel stop.
It's definitely pushing the limits of the CRA/CR9, but fuel diversions aren't actually all that common. I've flown AC IAH-YYC many, many times and never had to make a fuel stop. One time they had said we were going to have to stop in YXE for fuel, but winds were lighter than expected or whatever and we went straight through to YYC.
My AC flights to/from IAH have been late far more often than my UA flights. But the actual elapsed time on the flights has been pretty similar. Whether AC actually flies the CRAs these hypothetical 20 mph faster or not, I don't know.
YXE is also sometimes a fuel stop.
It's definitely pushing the limits of the CRA/CR9, but fuel diversions aren't actually all that common. I've flown AC IAH-YYC many, many times and never had to make a fuel stop. One time they had said we were going to have to stop in YXE for fuel, but winds were lighter than expected or whatever and we went straight through to YYC.
Jan 15, 2018, 2:44 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Jan 15, 2018, 2:56 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
Programs: *$ Green
Posts: 5,403
Jan 15, 2018, 6:49 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 8,002
Jan. 7 & 8, that flight diverted to YQR.
YXE seems out of the way compared to other alternatives.
Though YXE is about 15 minutes closer to IAH than YYC.
YXE seems out of the way compared to other alternatives.
Though YXE is about 15 minutes closer to IAH than YYC.
Jan 15, 2018, 7:37 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2012
Location: BKK/SIN/YYZ/YUL
Programs: DL, AC, Bonvoy, Accor, Hilton
Posts: 2,919
No it is not. It is inappropriate and dishonest to accuse the airline of "padding". It maligns the carrier for making a declaration upfront of the reasonable expected time needed to complete the flight. The practice of proper timing acts in favour of a connecting customer because that customer is more likely to make the connecting flight.
On the other hand, an airline like Air Canada which uses times which are not realistic, particularly on flights where delays are common is IMHO intentionally misleading. If one looks at the Asian route flights which have chronic delays, it would be a more honest practice to amend the flight time to reflect the actual experience. Specifically, the flight times in the winter should be changed.
Air Canada will not do this on its own.
Jan 15, 2018, 8:31 pm
#27
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,342
YXE is also sometimes a fuel stop.
It's definitely pushing the limits of the CRA/CR9, but fuel diversions aren't actually all that common. I've flown AC IAH-YYC many, many times and never had to make a fuel stop. One time they had said we were going to have to stop in YXE for fuel, but winds were lighter than expected or whatever and we went straight through to YYC.
It's definitely pushing the limits of the CRA/CR9, but fuel diversions aren't actually all that common. I've flown AC IAH-YYC many, many times and never had to make a fuel stop. One time they had said we were going to have to stop in YXE for fuel, but winds were lighter than expected or whatever and we went straight through to YYC.
Jan 15, 2018, 9:03 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50K (*G), Westjet Gold
Posts: 788
I've seen YQR stops quite a few times too.
What has always puzzled me though, is how UA manages to fill A319/A320s and 737s on this route, while AC can only manage to use CRAs? Same with ORD-YVR and YVR-DFW (AA 738s). The CRAs are comfortable and all, but once you hit 4 hours, you're really pushing it.
What has always puzzled me though, is how UA manages to fill A319/A320s and 737s on this route, while AC can only manage to use CRAs? Same with ORD-YVR and YVR-DFW (AA 738s). The CRAs are comfortable and all, but once you hit 4 hours, you're really pushing it.
Jan 15, 2018, 9:20 pm
#29
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: 16,767
Jan. 7 & 8, that flight diverted to YQR.
YXE seems out of the way compared to other alternatives.
Though YXE is about 15 minutes closer to IAH than YYC.
YXE seems out of the way compared to other alternatives.
Though YXE is about 15 minutes closer to IAH than YYC.
No it is not. It is inappropriate and dishonest to accuse the airline of "padding". It maligns the carrier for making a declaration upfront of the reasonable expected time needed to complete the flight. The practice of proper timing acts in favour of a connecting customer because that customer is more likely to make the connecting flight.
On the other hand, an airline like Air Canada which uses times which are not realistic, particularly on flights where delays are common is IMHO intentionally misleading. If one looks at the Asian route flights which have chronic delays, it would be a more honest practice to amend the flight time to reflect the actual experience. Specifically, the flight times in the winter should be changed.
Air Canada will not do this on its own.
On the other hand, an airline like Air Canada which uses times which are not realistic, particularly on flights where delays are common is IMHO intentionally misleading. If one looks at the Asian route flights which have chronic delays, it would be a more honest practice to amend the flight time to reflect the actual experience. Specifically, the flight times in the winter should be changed.
Air Canada will not do this on its own.
I've seen YQR stops quite a few times too.
What has always puzzled me though, is how UA manages to fill A319/A320s and 737s on this route, while AC can only manage to use CRAs? Same with ORD-YVR and YVR-DFW (AA 738s). The CRAs are comfortable and all, but once you hit 4 hours, you're really pushing it.
What has always puzzled me though, is how UA manages to fill A319/A320s and 737s on this route, while AC can only manage to use CRAs? Same with ORD-YVR and YVR-DFW (AA 738s). The CRAs are comfortable and all, but once you hit 4 hours, you're really pushing it.
100% agree on CRAs for 4 hours though, they're absolutely awful for that length of flight. They're an upgrade on, say, a DH4 on a 90-minute route, but a long route like this should really be served by something a lot more comfortable.
Jan 15, 2018, 9:58 pm
#30
Join Date: May 2014
Location: YYJ/YYT
Programs: AC 75K (*G), NEXUS
Posts: 652
I've seen YQR stops quite a few times too.
What has always puzzled me though, is how UA manages to fill A319/A320s and 737s on this route, while AC can only manage to use CRAs? Same with ORD-YVR and YVR-DFW (AA 738s). The CRAs are comfortable and all, but once you hit 4 hours, you're really pushing it.
What has always puzzled me though, is how UA manages to fill A319/A320s and 737s on this route, while AC can only manage to use CRAs? Same with ORD-YVR and YVR-DFW (AA 738s). The CRAs are comfortable and all, but once you hit 4 hours, you're really pushing it.