YYC009

I read on the Calgary Skyscraper forum that it appears that AC is dropping YYC-NRT as there is no longer any availability or schedule showing after the end of the summer season. Will have to wait and see if it is dropped altogether or just for the winter - it has run daily in the summer for the last number of years and then 3 weekly in the winter. Quite the disappointment for AC YYC flyers.

StuMcIlwain

I wonder if this is due to the 767 retirements? Not all routes can support 300 seats per flight. There are only a handful of 788s in the fleet, and at 251 passengers vs 211, even a 788 is an upgauge. I'm wondering what the future will be for YOW-LHR/FRA.

cyralax

I'm honestly a little surprised by this. Now granted, I've never flown AC9/10 during the winter season, the latest I've flown it is October/April but everytime I'm on it, the flight seems quite if not totally full. Lots of tour groups originating in Japan coming to see the mountains. Stu has the right idea though, there was one time I flew it when it was being served with a B788 and there were quite a few empty seats in the rear Y section.

eigenvector

The future for any Eastern Canada TATL route without heavy premium traffic is likely the 737 MAX.

As for YYC NRT, if AC does get rid of this route or switch it to seasonal, I wonder if they will give up the slot at NRT or add another flight from YYZ or YVR.

mapleg

Last time I took that NRT-YYC flight it was packed full. There were about 25 passengers transferring in YYC to a flight to Yelllownife. It was a Nov flight and they were all going to see the northern lights. It's a popular trip for many Japanese ladies.

Adam Smith

Disappointing to see this.

I've wondered about that for a while as well. This flight has been a 788 in the past, but perhaps demand wasn't high enough.

tracon

Depends on how you structure the math.
Trip cost will be roughly the same. Revenue would be the same. Load factor would be less.

tecate55

Doesn't that work against the NRT-YYC route? AC might figure they can just transfer them in YVR. Less time/miles in the air too. Though that all depends on availability on YVR-KZF.

cedric

Maybe, but the aircraft is likely better deployed on a route where the additional capacity can be used regularly. Depending on average revenue per passenger mile.

briguychau

The (winter) slot at NRT used for the YYC flight is Wed/Fri/Sun arriving at 1440 and departing at 1610. Seems like that slot is now used for the winter for AC5/6 for YUL-NRT-YUL.

phdtraveller

What would the original YUL-NRT slot be used for, AC will just give it up during the winter? Here's hoping that AC can add back YYZ-NRT? But I feel this is unlikely, but one can dream...

quantumofforce

I used to fly YYZ-NRT a lot, if it doesn't come back, that is a big disappointment for me. I'd like to avoid 2 stop overs, and I'd like to avoid 15+ hour ultra long hauls from HKG.

YoYUL

For YYC-NRT, I don't think the route is cancelled outright, buth with the pending 763 mainline retirement, the route is simply reverting back to summer-seasonal only, which is too far out to be loaded yet for summer 2019.

As for YOW-LHR/FRA, there's too much government traffic J demand for those routes to be MAXed to offer only a Y+ (domestic J) product, plus I doubt that YOW-FRA is even within 7M8 range. I'd imagine these will go 788 as a) the capacity increase could easily be absorbed and is quite frankly long overdue at YOW, and b) it's easy to continue rotating the widebody on a Rapidair...where the demand is needed in the evening peak as it is. While the 788 may not be optimized distance wise for YOW-LHR/FRA, the it is the optimal aircraft size for YOW. The fact that AC are using the 788 on YUL-FRA this summer shows there is a precedent for its usage on such stage lengths. I doubt YOW-LHR/FRA will go 333 given the lack of a YYZ 333 crew base = harder to rotate aircraft + a bigger capacity jump.

YOW might get a 7M8 transatlantic route on AC eventually, with a summer seasonal YOW-CDG being the most likely.

briguychau

The original YUL-NRT slot was the old YYZ-NRT slot from the previous summer. I don't think there was a YYZ-NRT winter slot ever since they made that flight seasonal.

NRT slot summary
Summer 2017
1 daily YVR
1 daily YYC
1 daily YYZ
Winter 2017-2018
1 daily YVR
3 weekly YYC
Summer 2018
1 daily YVR
1 daily YYC
1 daily YUL
Winter 2018-2019
1 daily YVR

sram

agree. Its a good transfer point for HKG, KUL, SIN, MNL, and orthers. HND just doesn't have the international transfer options that NRT has.

With YUL/NRT taking over the AC5/6 numbering, should we read anything into that? Are their changes to the YYZ/HND route? This is my preferred flight when conducting business in Japan as NRT is just too far out of the city.