Return to 767 on YYC LGW route in off season
Feb 23, 2019, 2:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 32
Return to 767 on YYC LGW route in off season
Just found out the 787 will only fly YYC LGW during high season then WS will go back to the 767 starting late October. I really don't understand this and think it is a massive cock up by Westjet. Why would they bring in a state of the art plane on a route then go back to a 30 year old plane during winter? Its not as if theres a massive difference is passenger numbers on these two planes. I often defend WS when people accuse them of false advertising but have to say they have been very sneaky with this.
Feb 23, 2019, 2:57 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: YYC, Canada
Programs: AC 35k
Posts: 1,898
Winter schedules are not finalized. I don't think WS knows what it's doing with the 787s come winter but I rather doubt it returns to 763 service. Likely 2-3x a week to LGW on 789s. Patience.
The 789 is an upgauge (320 vs 260) and has a business cabin. So they are not at all close capacity wise.
Airlines change equipment all the time depending on the market and where they can best profitably use their assets. This is not false advertising as you can see your aircraft and service class before you book.
The 789 is an upgauge (320 vs 260) and has a business cabin. So they are not at all close capacity wise.
Airlines change equipment all the time depending on the market and where they can best profitably use their assets. This is not false advertising as you can see your aircraft and service class before you book.
Last edited by YXUFlyboy; Feb 23, 2019 at 3:03 pm
Feb 23, 2019, 3:14 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 32
Winter schedules are not finalized. I don't think WS knows what it's doing with the 787s come winter but I rather doubt it returns to 763 service. Likely 2-3x a week to LGW on 789s. Patience.
The 789 is an upgauge (320 vs 260) and has a business cabin. So they are not at all close capacity wise.
Airlines change equipment all the time depending on the market and where they can best profitably use their assets. This is not false advertising as you can see your aircraft and service class before you book.
The 789 is an upgauge (320 vs 260) and has a business cabin. So they are not at all close capacity wise.
Airlines change equipment all the time depending on the market and where they can best profitably use their assets. This is not false advertising as you can see your aircraft and service class before you book.
Last edited by Jonsie; Feb 23, 2019 at 3:21 pm
Feb 23, 2019, 5:04 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 32
Feb 23, 2019, 6:00 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 980
A random selection of a few dates next winter showed connections from YYC to LGW through YYZ. YYC non stop on the 767 or 787 wasn’t even a option so perhaps WS hasn’t loaded the winter YYC LGW sked yet.
Feb 23, 2019, 6:14 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 32
Weird, I looked this morning and there were multiple nonstops throughout winter. 3 times per week, same as they've been doing since 2016. I believe YYZ LGW is daily even in winter.
Feb 23, 2019, 7:52 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
I agree it is not false advertising as you can indeed see the plane, but thats not what I mean. When they announced routes for the 787 they clearly said the 787 would replace the 767 on the YYC LGW route. So it is actually misleading. Fair enough if they don't yet know winter schedules but AC seem to know what they're doing. If I'm wanting to fly J to LON in November, WS aren't even an option at this time. They are potentially missing out on $$$ by not knowing their strategy. I find it bizarre and archaic they don't know what to do with their 787 8 months down the road.
Feb 23, 2019, 8:11 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: YYC, Canada
Programs: AC 35k
Posts: 1,898
I agree it is not false advertising as you can indeed see the plane, but thats not what I mean. When they announced routes for the 787 they clearly said the 787 would replace the 767 on the YYC LGW route. So it is actually misleading. Fair enough if they don't yet know winter schedules but AC seem to know what they're doing. If I'm wanting to fly J to LON in November, WS aren't even an option at this time. They are potentially missing out on $$$ by not knowing their strategy. I find it bizarre and archaic they don't know what to do with their 787 8 months down the road.
AC doesn't always "know what it is doing" either. As another poster has said, they simply take last year's winter schedule and tweak it. It is quite possible that AC could have a direct flight and you get rebooked on a connection on a completely different aircraft because a route is cut or aircraft is switched. AC has also been doing widebody flying with business class for many years and has a very good general idea of where to deploy its fleet. Business-class flying is new to WestJet and winter is usually a low period for widebody flying. My best guess is that YYC-LGW remains 3x weekly and goes to a 789 and one frame goes to YYZ to run YYZ-LGW. I imagine YYC-YYZ will keep at least one 789 run.
WS has mentioned they may switch their Hawaii routes to all 7M8 next winter. They already run one OGG run from YYC on a 7M8 (sometimes 2x daily one 7M8 and one 763). They certainly will have the frames for it.
With that in mind, who knows what they will do with the remaining 789 and 763 capacity in winter; 3 more frames will be on their way by then also.
Last edited by YXUFlyboy; Feb 23, 2019 at 8:22 pm
Feb 24, 2019, 1:30 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: WestJet Rewards, Aeroplan
Posts: 24
Both airlines we've got up here load "last year's" schedule initially, 11 months in advance of travel. Then they make adjustments on two dates each year. And the non-appearance of 787's on the existing (read: 2018) winter schedule would suggest this policy hasn't changed.
My prediction?
787s:
0.5 or 1 for YYC-LGW
1 or 1.5 for YYC-various Hawaii flights to replace the 767 that's dedicated to those routes
1 stays on the current YYC-YYZ daily round-trip
Of course, that frees up a 767. Which I think would be dedicated 0.5 to Toronto-Hawaii. (While the remaining '67s flights continue: 1 for YYZ-LGW, 0.5 for YEG-Hawaii + spare)
My prediction?
787s:
0.5 or 1 for YYC-LGW
1 or 1.5 for YYC-various Hawaii flights to replace the 767 that's dedicated to those routes
1 stays on the current YYC-YYZ daily round-trip
Of course, that frees up a 767. Which I think would be dedicated 0.5 to Toronto-Hawaii. (While the remaining '67s flights continue: 1 for YYZ-LGW, 0.5 for YEG-Hawaii + spare)
Feb 25, 2019, 12:43 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
Both airlines we've got up here load "last year's" schedule initially, 11 months in advance of travel. Then they make adjustments on two dates each year. And the non-appearance of 787's on the existing (read: 2018) winter schedule would suggest this policy hasn't changed.
My prediction?
787s:
0.5 or 1 for YYC-LGW
1 or 1.5 for YYC-various Hawaii flights to replace the 767 that's dedicated to those routes
1 stays on the current YYC-YYZ daily round-trip
Of course, that frees up a 767. Which I think would be dedicated 0.5 to Toronto-Hawaii. (While the remaining '67s flights continue: 1 for YYZ-LGW, 0.5 for YEG-Hawaii + spare)
My prediction?
787s:
0.5 or 1 for YYC-LGW
1 or 1.5 for YYC-various Hawaii flights to replace the 767 that's dedicated to those routes
1 stays on the current YYC-YYZ daily round-trip
Of course, that frees up a 767. Which I think would be dedicated 0.5 to Toronto-Hawaii. (While the remaining '67s flights continue: 1 for YYZ-LGW, 0.5 for YEG-Hawaii + spare)
Feb 26, 2019, 12:46 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: No single airline or hotel chain is of much use to me anymore.
Posts: 3,279
If that means either no more red-eye or an additional day-time westbound flight out of HNL bring it on.
Feb 26, 2019, 12:57 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 980