Air Canada OTP Getting Worse?
Feb 9, 2019, 7:42 pm
#31
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Unfortunately this extra 20 minutes comes right out of the time they need to turn the aircraft around, especially in YOW where the majority of the planes are going straight back to YYZ. Do you think they can unload, groom, reload and depart an E190 in about 30 minutes in YOW in the winter? Of course not, hence the OTP starts to approach zero on those flights between November and March.
Feb 9, 2019, 7:48 pm
#32
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Weather is not an excuse! Alaska is also pretty cold and snowy in winter, yet Alaska Airlines manages an OTP that's significantly better than that of AC. In fact, they crush AC year after year.
Same for SAS ... Malmo, the most southerly city in Sweden, is located farther north than Edmonton. Yet in spite of their proximity to the Arctic circle and long, cold winters, Sweden's airline manages a vastly better OTP than AC. Oh hell, even Siberian Airlines manages an OTP in the 80% range, despite Siberia being a heck of a lot colder than YUL and YYZ in winter and operating through winter conditions over a much longer proportion of the year.
Weather has bugger all to do with it. AC's pathetic, world's-worst OTP is the result of crappy management and crappy execution by Air Canada staff. Enough of the weather excuses, they simply don't stand up to scrutiny.
Same for SAS ... Malmo, the most southerly city in Sweden, is located farther north than Edmonton. Yet in spite of their proximity to the Arctic circle and long, cold winters, Sweden's airline manages a vastly better OTP than AC. Oh hell, even Siberian Airlines manages an OTP in the 80% range, despite Siberia being a heck of a lot colder than YUL and YYZ in winter and operating through winter conditions over a much longer proportion of the year.
Weather has bugger all to do with it. AC's pathetic, world's-worst OTP is the result of crappy management and crappy execution by Air Canada staff. Enough of the weather excuses, they simply don't stand up to scrutiny.
Last edited by Symmetre; Feb 10, 2019 at 6:38 am
Feb 9, 2019, 8:02 pm
#33
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While I agree with your general rationale, I must comment upon your given examples. Alaska Airlines may have originated in its namesake state, but so much of their flying occurs in much warmer climes. Its presence is massively greater in California and the Pacific Northwest; it operates as many flights to Hawaii as Alaska. Malmo might indeed be further north than Edmonton, but London is also further north than Moosonee...higher latitudes do not directly correlate to winter weather.
Feb 9, 2019, 8:14 pm
#34
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Just 2 of a few I've looked at, so far, these are the worst ones
Also running late right now, AC 7, 31, 3, 15, 56, 120, 118 ,126
Is it weather, YVR baggage, blocked lavs, missing pax, global warming, shortage of gates or GAs, ATC....
Also running late right now, AC 7, 31, 3, 15, 56, 120, 118 ,126
Is it weather, YVR baggage, blocked lavs, missing pax, global warming, shortage of gates or GAs, ATC....
Feb 10, 2019, 12:21 am
#35
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
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The list of flight numbers might not tell the story. Many of these may be the same plane; a late departure from Asia/Dubai will naturally lead to a late departure of the same widebody continuing between YYZ & YVR (or vice-versa) as many of these flights do.
Feb 10, 2019, 8:43 am
#36
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Feb 10, 2019, 8:53 am
#37
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Maybe not
Maybe
Still, the point many of us are trying to make is OTP is not.
Still, the point many of us are trying to make is OTP is not.
Feb 10, 2019, 10:27 am
#38
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From OAG.com
Delta, with major hubs in MSP and DTW (which get similar weather to YYZ and YUL) achieves substantially better OTP than AC. Ditto for UA with its main hubs in ORD, DEN and EWR, three of the most weather delay-prone airports in the world.
Aeroflot and Air SIberia achieve substantially better OTP than AC too, while coping with a similar climate. So does Westjet, flying out of most of the same airports and under the same weather conditions as AC.
Apologists can apologize all they want. The facts are clear. Weather is simply not an excuse for AC's substandard OTP.
Delta, with major hubs in MSP and DTW (which get similar weather to YYZ and YUL) achieves substantially better OTP than AC. Ditto for UA with its main hubs in ORD, DEN and EWR, three of the most weather delay-prone airports in the world.
Aeroflot and Air SIberia achieve substantially better OTP than AC too, while coping with a similar climate. So does Westjet, flying out of most of the same airports and under the same weather conditions as AC.
Apologists can apologize all they want. The facts are clear. Weather is simply not an excuse for AC's substandard OTP.
Feb 10, 2019, 10:39 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: Bottom feeder Star Gold
Posts: 2,652
As an aside, interesting that WestJet is still deemed 'low cost'. With multiple fare categories, aircraft types, cabin offerings and two sub-brands, at which point do they lose that designation?
Part of WS' superior OTP may lie with their ground handling contracts. At my local airport, they switched last year from Swissport to ATS and the improvements in service delivery from airline and airport perspectives were noticeable. Air Canada handles its own fleet, and there are inherent (perhaps stereotypical) challenges with a comfortably-ensconced internal staff.
Part of WS' superior OTP may lie with their ground handling contracts. At my local airport, they switched last year from Swissport to ATS and the improvements in service delivery from airline and airport perspectives were noticeable. Air Canada handles its own fleet, and there are inherent (perhaps stereotypical) challenges with a comfortably-ensconced internal staff.
Feb 10, 2019, 12:16 pm
#40
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Feb 10, 2019, 12:25 pm
#42
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
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From OAG.com
Delta, with major hubs in MSP and DTW (which get similar weather to YYZ and YUL) achieves substantially better OTP than AC. Ditto for UA with its main hubs in ORD, DEN and EWR, three of the most weather delay-prone airports in the world.
Aeroflot and Air SIberia achieve substantially better OTP than AC too, while coping with a similar climate. So does Westjet, flying out of most of the same airports and under the same weather conditions as AC.
Apologists can apologize all they want. The facts are clear. Weather is simply not an excuse for AC's substandard OTP.
Delta, with major hubs in MSP and DTW (which get similar weather to YYZ and YUL) achieves substantially better OTP than AC. Ditto for UA with its main hubs in ORD, DEN and EWR, three of the most weather delay-prone airports in the world.
Aeroflot and Air SIberia achieve substantially better OTP than AC too, while coping with a similar climate. So does Westjet, flying out of most of the same airports and under the same weather conditions as AC.
Apologists can apologize all they want. The facts are clear. Weather is simply not an excuse for AC's substandard OTP.
I think 66 is old, mainline was 54 in January....
Feb 10, 2019, 1:56 pm
#43
Join Date: Dec 2014
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Air Canada will never improve their OTP if they insist upon 12-hour diversions. I understand YVR-YYJ technically cross (a portion of) the Pacific, but diverting those flights across the remainder of the ocean to Seoul seems a bit unnecessary:
Feb 10, 2019, 2:51 pm
#45
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In January, AC's mainline ranking was down to 54. Hence the thread title ... I wonder how much longer till it's under 50?