CZAMFlyer

Wine, meals, what's on the entertainment screen, whether they shuttle you directly to the airplane in an import SUV...all are ancillary concerns given too much weight on this and other fora. Price and schedule pretty much dictate the travel patterns of the bulk of the premium travellers who have a choice.

I think we're all aware that there's no greater style, sophistication nor possession of discerning taste in front of the curtain than behind it. Boiled down, business class flyers are simply people who pay more to get to the same place at the same time as everybody else.

Stranger

jc94

5mm

Diabeetus

WS is more likely to change their route (i.e. fly out of YVR instead of YYC to get to Europe) to increase sales. If the premium product does not sell well enough, then I can see them reconfiguring to have less or no premium seats. I don't think they will let AC control the premium and/or international market without a significant fight.

5mm

The Lev

At least now WS has the old 767's and 7M8's that can help in a pinch.

Was on the SAA forum a little while ago and people there were complaining about the $6 wines that SAA serves in J. (Although other posters were pointing out that you can get good South african wine for $6.00)

Yes that is too much to expect knowing your tastes in wine.

CZAMFlyer

In an airplane, it probably is. I would expect your local go-to wine shop to recommend an enjoyable bottle, or that a wine publication, fellow enthusiast or decent restaurant would do the same. In an airborne bus, my expectations are limited to safe, on-time performance, reasonable seat comfort for the price paid and high-quality customer service from staff. This applies regardless of airline or class of cabin selected.

On a different tack, I wonder if & when WS decides to serve Vancouver with its 787s, how they'll 'compete' with Air Canada in terms of gates? Each airlines occupies a separate pier at YVR for its domestic operations, and there's just one gate in the A/B ("WestJet") pier able to accommodate a 789. There are a few swing gates (located directly beneath the windows of the YVR domestic MLL) that are primarily occupied by, but certainly not exclusive to, AC. Whenever WestJet and Transat are assigned gates 49-52 for example, there often follow comments - verging on complaints - that they're occupying "Air Canada gates". To the best of my knowledge, AC owns a total of zero gates at any of the airports it serves. It could be fun to see widebody jockeying between the two if there are conflicts serving the 9th most profitable route in the world (YVR-YYZ).

There needs to be popcorn in the lounge.

5mm

In general, the airline with the most traffic/flights usually get the best gates. If WS runs a route 1 to 3x per week and AC is daily (YVR), I would think the gates (YVR) 50-52 would go to AC. Canadian airports are run like a business and they look after their best customers too. More interest would be YYC. WS does not like their set up there and is trying everything to change the DOM gate situation. Plus, YYC swing gates are limited and set up for mostly smaller jets.

Diabeetus

If WS flies enough widebodies out of YVR, then maybe they can expand/modify the A/B concourse? (I have no idea about the logistics)

Or maybe they will use those "AC gates", but have less desirable time slots.

CZAMFlyer

Yes, they do, but both are valuable partners. If airports constantly ruled in favour of the biggest tenant, essentially impeding the entry or growth of competitors, that would be extremely unhealthy for business. The issue isn't so much about 'best' gates, it's about access to gates, period.

Let's assume that any new WS Dreamliners operating domestic routes serving a premium traveler would occur on a more frequent basis than 1-3x per week.

At the risk of putting the proverbial cart before the horse (we don't yet know if, when nor how many WS 787s may use YVR), the A pier was recently expanded to accommodate increased WS domestic operations. It's not the concourse that requires expansion; it's the apron and adjacent taxiways, and therein lies the problem. Despite committing to over $9B of capital infrastructure spending, there are too many demands at YVR to keep up with.

I think we're looking at increased remote stand operations and yes, that will have to include the largest and most reluctant airline at the airport. Show of hands: would many business travellers - faced with otherwise equal options - choose one carrier over another if they had to deplane via bus? (The time difference between seat and curb would be negligible).

YYCowboy

The day WS announces a TYO / TPE / HKG route is the day I will fully exit *A, I mean I don't mind UA but it is a hassle to go thru SFO everytime just to avoid AC

*Disclosure - have a chunk of WJ from way back in the day.

CZAMFlyer

I think you're the prime target client WestJet is aiming for. I would imagine an Asia announcement won't be too long in coming (perhaps not from YYC?); some more competition is always welcomed.

5mm

WS already uses "AC" swing gate(50-52). Just not at peak Asian departure times.

CZAMFlyer

Yes they use those gates. That doesn't prevent vociferous competitor protest at peak domestic departure times and peak Australia departure times and peak Hawaii departure times and any other time of day.

Maybe a peak Asia departure time might soon involve a WS Dreamliner - stuffed with newly-gained corporate clients - also vying to depart on time.