Air Canada OTP Getting Worse?
#16
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 2,908
AC aircraft waiting for ground crew on arrival seems to be a chronic problem in the last couple of years, especially mid to late evening @ YVR. (a) The plane has been in the air for 4 hours and they didn't know it was coming? Or (b) did they deliberately decide to only call in one ground crew and make the pax wait until they're ready? I think (b) would be more consistent with AC's operating culture: we wait for no one, but you must wait for us when we need you to.
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,742
Can't speak to YVR. Some years back it used to be pretty common at a number of different locations. However more recently I don't recall any case.
#18
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,734
AC has lots of Asia/Pacific and Europe routes that are not affected by weather that WS doesn't have, as a much great percentage of WS's routes are in Canada compared AC. AC is just chronically bad at scheduling and timkeeping.
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 669
Which one? Most of AC aircraft transit YYZ within 24 hours before or after their Asian/European flights. They do not keep any wide bodies that just fly out of YVR to international cities that I know of.
Last edited by 5mm; Feb 7, 2019 at 10:36 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,734
How about YVR-BNE? It's weather at the other end that's important, as there are no deicing issues at SYD, BNE or HKG for example. WS has to deal with flights that have weather issues at both ends. There are much greater chances for delay with a flight that has deicing or snow bound airports at both ends, than just one. Plus long flights have greater opportunity to make up time enroute, rather than a short flight like YXE-YYC. The odd are stacked in AC's favour to have better OTP compared to WS, yet they are 16% lower than WS.
#21
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC e75K, *G, SPG/MR PPE
Posts: 315
Wouldn't the variety of aircraft used at AC play a role as well? The 737 or Q-400s used by WS would likely have different operational parameters.
I have had only one of my regular YYZ-YOW flights be on time this year, out of 14. Most are E90s, but I have been trying to fly the 763 more often, only because it's a more comfortable delay in those J pods...
I have had only one of my regular YYZ-YOW flights be on time this year, out of 14. Most are E90s, but I have been trying to fly the 763 more often, only because it's a more comfortable delay in those J pods...
#23
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,734
Seattle airport is ranked at 80.4%
Of all the airlines ranked (those than fly more than 18,000 scheduled flights per year including LCC), the only worse airlines than AC were China Southern, China Eastern and Air China. That makes AC #126 out of 129.
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 669
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,273
The report I saw is for 2018 as a whole. It doesn't break out each operator at various airports. It ranks AC's OTP at 67.3%, AS at 81.1% and DL at 82.8%
Seattle airport is ranked at 80.4%
Of all the airlines ranked (those than fly more than 18,000 scheduled flights per year including LCC), the only worse airlines than AC were China Southern, China Eastern and Air China. That makes AC #126 out of 129.
Seattle airport is ranked at 80.4%
Of all the airlines ranked (those than fly more than 18,000 scheduled flights per year including LCC), the only worse airlines than AC were China Southern, China Eastern and Air China. That makes AC #126 out of 129.
Amazing how some people can still defend world's worst OTP by this airline.
#26
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: Bottom feeder Star Gold
Posts: 2,652
I think you mean 'usually comes from EWR'. The New York --> Brisbane flight is almost always a through-aircraft.
#28
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: Bottom feeder Star Gold
Posts: 2,652
Yes, there are periods of the slow season in which AC subs the 788 in favour of the 789 to BNE (the 789s in turn replace 77Ws to destinations such as HKG). The 788 from YUL to Brisbane is uncommon, despite what this week's activity displays. 549 generally continues as 35, but there are no hard & fast rules, and if there were, we could always find exceptions.
I think the issue of bad weather at AC hub airports is a bit of a red herring. With 80 years of operation, AC should by now understand the seasonal challenges of operating in this country during winter, and draw their schedules accordingly.
I think the issue of bad weather at AC hub airports is a bit of a red herring. With 80 years of operation, AC should by now understand the seasonal challenges of operating in this country during winter, and draw their schedules accordingly.
#29
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 669
#30
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,220
And the majority of the other carriers flights originate from airports that never have weather such as ORD, EWR, LGA, MSP, DTW.... Clearly weather only affects AC hubs.
Can't wait to see January numbers after December showed AC 15%+ lower than anyone else in North America.
Can't wait to see January numbers after December showed AC 15%+ lower than anyone else in North America.
And if it's all weather related delays because of where Air Canada flies, then they need to insert a massive does of reality into their published schedules. Air Canada pretending that winter flying is exactly the same as summer flying (while at the same time chastising passengers for not knowing that winter flying is completely different than summer flying) is hardly rational.
I mean I understand that people in Ontario are bewildered on those rare occasions when all the ground turns white. But to the rest of the world there's a reason why it's known as the Great White North.