EdmFlyBoi

As a regular traveler to LHR, I recall fondly the direct flight to LHR that used to run from YEG on a 767. It seems like there should be a direct flight to LHR on someone, whether it be AC or BA. Is it that the route is not high yield enough or do they not have the right aircraft (it seems like a 788 would be reasonable with only 20 J seats)? What would it take to relaunch the route 3-4 per week?

cedric

Enough premium demand that cannot be serviced through other gateways, and enough equipment so that there is no better use of the airframe.
Further, in this particular case LHR is slot constricted, so it would only make sense to transfer slots from another route to YEG if YEG was proven to perform better than the other route.

Jagboi

YYC - LHR on BA is a summer seasonal route now, so I think the odds of a direct YEG-LHR are zero until the economy improves.

AltaBound

Passengers flying on something other than a low airfare bucket or on points.

Sunny Day

While a 90% load does not equal yield or profit, can a route make money if the J cabin is 80% full but economy cabin is only 60% full?

yyz_atc_qq

It depends on how the J cabin is 80% full. If it's 80% full from paid tickets (non eUpgrades, non points, non staff) then likely yes.

HerpaYvr

YEG is funny, big airport, small operation.

When we lived in Whitecourt as well as Edmonton, we choose YYC over YEG many of times. I remember the option of direct AC YEG-LHR flights, but it was expensive if going onwards to other European destinations.

AC struggled with that route as well as flights to the US as UA had more US flights than AC. Today KLM is the choice for Europe out of YEG.

The demographics for the Edmonton area is so much different than the Calgary area, same province and only 300 KM apart, but still a world apart when it comes to air travel. Just like their respective hockey teams, lol.

YZF_Elite

EdmFlyBoi

It would be highly unlikely for AC to use an LHR slot for Rouge or TS (too valuable from a premium traveler perspective). I don't think I would choose to fly to LGW because of the links into the city once you arrive. LHR is simply way more connected to central London than LGW.

AC has direct flights from both YHZ and YYT, when they have the right aircraft to fly them (in this case the Max). Maybe when there is an aircraft that can reach Western Europe from Western Canada that is not a 787/777/A330, we may see the return of such routes. You would think that with this type of aircraft (797), that AC might consider increasing service from YVR beyond the year round LHR and FRA and summer seasonal ZRH and CDG and add more routes out of YYC and YEG. It sure would be nice to more point to point routes out of Western Canada.

Often1

As a starting point, LHR is slot-controlled. Thus, AC would need to cancel some other frequency in order to add YEG back in. Which frequency would that be?

PRASM, not load, is what counts. Anyone can fill any aircraft if the prices are low enough. But, that is not the issue.

EdmFlyBoi

That's an interesting comment. Yes LHR is slot controlled, however AC seems to have an additional slot in the summer that they use for the second YVR-LHR. What happens to this slot in the winter months? All of the other routes are maintained at 1 daily, with the exception of YYZ at 4 daily, throughout the year. They aren't running YHZ and YYT this summer, but that is due to the Max grounding (as we all know). I suspect if AC wanted an additional LHR slot they could likely obtain it from one of their partners with which they share revenue as part of the A++ joint venture across the Atlantic.

300rwhp

gatwick is much better to central london, it just sucks for onward *A connections.

EdmFlyBoi

Fiordland

I could be wrong, but I though when you obtain a slot it is for winter, summer or year round. Perhaps they only own a half year slot pair or they have a deal where it is rented out to another airline in the winter. In summer they basically have three slot pairs that have timing that only work for Western Canada. One always goes to Vancouver, another always to Calgary. The third pair is the one they have used for Edmonton in the past. Many years (decades) ago, it was Winnipeg. More recently they have used it on Vancouver.

300rwhp

gatwick has regular service trains and the gatwick express (to london bridge or victoria both of which take 30 mins or less every 15 mins). I dont consider paddington that helpful as i then need to change to the tube and paddington is served by two lines. As I need to get to the city/canary wharf and not to tourist sites Gatwick is much quicker and easier. Nonetheless edmonton should focus on convincing Westjet to fly to Gatwick as AC wont offer either.