AC faces new competition from WestJet's new lie-flat 787 business class
Dec 17, 2018, 10:07 am
#136
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC: Ac*A, , Nexus: Expired
Posts: 1,489
I knew as soon as I read the original comment that somebody would forget to include the time it takes to drive from their starting point to YVR airport, arrive at least an hour ahead of the flight, fly to Edmonton and add the time it takes to disembark and travel home from YEG. Now add that to a 9-hour delay, and presto! likely 12 to 13 hours.
Dec 17, 2018, 10:07 am
#137
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
Big difference. First, with WS not in alliance with AF/KLM/DL, its not really the same thing. AFAIK, its a code share agreement, Nothing more.
Second, the biggest difference is frequency of flights to/from Europe is dramatically different. On any given day you have multiple AC fights to and from LHR to YUL/YOW/YYZ/YVR/YYC. WS doesn't have that. If something happens in LHR (for example) there is significantly less capacity to deal with the IRROPS and accommodate passengers on alternative flights to Canada.
Second, the biggest difference is frequency of flights to/from Europe is dramatically different. On any given day you have multiple AC fights to and from LHR to YUL/YOW/YYZ/YVR/YYC. WS doesn't have that. If something happens in LHR (for example) there is significantly less capacity to deal with the IRROPS and accommodate passengers on alternative flights to Canada.
Dec 17, 2018, 10:17 am
#138
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC: Ac*A, , Nexus: Expired
Posts: 1,489
Dec 17, 2018, 10:48 am
#139
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 669
I knew as soon as I read the original comment that somebody would forget to include the time it takes to drive from their starting point to YVR airport, arrive at least an hour ahead of the flight, fly to Edmonton and add the time it takes to disembark and travel home from YEG. Now add that to a 9-hour delay, and presto! likely 12 to 13 hours.
Dec 17, 2018, 10:51 am
#140
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: Bottom feeder Star Gold
Posts: 2,652
Wow.
OK. That choice was never under debate; just the math was.
There will be fewer driving options from Dublin, Paris or Gatwick.
Originally Posted by 5mm
I would still take a "9 Hours flight", plus check in time instead of driving that route. The 12/13 hour drive is best case. That drive can turn into 15 to 20 hours or more very quickly.
There will be fewer driving options from Dublin, Paris or Gatwick.
Dec 17, 2018, 11:41 am
#141
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC: Ac*A, , Nexus: Expired
Posts: 1,489
12/13 hours is not "best case." It is standard time. We make the drive twice a year (summer and winter) and not once has it taken 15-20 hours. Not once. Not even during barrier fires of 2003 when we had to divert via fraser valley.
Dec 17, 2018, 11:42 am
#142
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC: Ac*A, , Nexus: Expired
Posts: 1,489
Dec 17, 2018, 12:11 pm
#143
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 669
Anyways, back to subject.
Dec 17, 2018, 12:16 pm
#144
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 5
Large Canadian research firm, a 30 minute paid interview $150, whoever the sponsor was they received their monies worth from me.
Dec 17, 2018, 6:39 pm
#145
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite. NEXUS
Posts: 4,569
Dec 17, 2018, 8:17 pm
#146
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,746
AC has taken more than 24 hours to get me from YYZ to YYC, In my limited disruption experience WS has always handled it better than AC. WS was "Git 'er done" and AC was "Computer says no"
Dec 17, 2018, 9:02 pm
#147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,804
In my limited experience WS has actually been bad. Possibly more dishonest than AC. After a delay that would result in misconnection and a 24 hours delay to final destination if keeping the same itinerary and first WS flight, started by denying the delay, inventing all sort of excuses as to why it was not possible to check in on the connecting flight. Until I had them call a manager who admitted. And accepted to rebook on another airline, mitigating the issue.
Dec 17, 2018, 10:03 pm
#148
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
I would say WS historicaly was worse with IROP. That said AC has had its own problems over the years. They are both getting better. Today I find they are on par with each other domestically.
Dec 17, 2018, 10:04 pm
#149
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
I'm sure the next one will be no different.
(PS And like others I was regularly stranded by Air Canada for more than 24 hours, even as a perpetual Super Elite. Often times I had to fix the problem myself because it seemed completely beyond Air Canada's ability to make even small adjustments or accommodations to improve things. Things like claiming that I couldn't depart from a different airport during a hurricane because Portland, ME was more than 500 miles from Boston, MA. The was one of the last incidents before I stopped flying Air Canada. Here's one of the first: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-canada-aeroplan/16857-show-me-button.htmlIn between there are a million others.)
"More than 500 miles."
Last edited by KenHamer; Dec 17, 2018 at 10:10 pm
Dec 18, 2018, 7:52 am
#150
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,804
Coming back to the issue, I expect there will be enough people who (1) prefer to fly WS, (2) want to try it and end up liking them.
Especially the YYC folks. Especially the CDG flights with no connection. I also would imagine the quality of the soft product will be better than AC. And that they will price more than competitively at least initially.Given the small business cabin, they should have no difficulty filling it up. Which ultimately will lead to AC improving the soft product too. After 20 years of cost-cutting on catering and drinks. But eh, am I indulging in wishful thinking? I'll stick to AC anyway.