Help me understand the Swoop YHZ-YXU flight
Apr 23, 2019, 7:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YHZ/YQM
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 1,618
Help me understand the Swoop YHZ-YXU flight
Hi all, I was thinking about Swoop's service between YHZ and YXU, and I'm having trouble understanding how it can be viable.
I was talking to my wife the other day about a short getaway trip sometime soon. We usually drive for this sort of thing, but after 20 years of marriage and living in Nova Scotia, we're running out of destinations within driving distance. So I mentioned that we could fly to London, Ontario for $79 each way. Her question: "What's in London?" My answer: "I have no idea."
So if two well educated Nova Scotians have no clue why we'd want to visit YXU, where does the demand for this flight come from? For most Maritimers, going to Ontario means Toronto or Ottawa, but Swoop already has service to YHM as a low-cost entry point to the GTA.
Or is the whole point of the flight to bring folks from Southern Ontario to the East Coast? Is there really enough demand in that direction?
I was talking to my wife the other day about a short getaway trip sometime soon. We usually drive for this sort of thing, but after 20 years of marriage and living in Nova Scotia, we're running out of destinations within driving distance. So I mentioned that we could fly to London, Ontario for $79 each way. Her question: "What's in London?" My answer: "I have no idea."
So if two well educated Nova Scotians have no clue why we'd want to visit YXU, where does the demand for this flight come from? For most Maritimers, going to Ontario means Toronto or Ottawa, but Swoop already has service to YHM as a low-cost entry point to the GTA.
Or is the whole point of the flight to bring folks from Southern Ontario to the East Coast? Is there really enough demand in that direction?
Apr 23, 2019, 9:42 am
#2
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG LT Plat, Hilton G,Priorty Club G, AC E
Posts: 2,979
Two reasons...it's a cheap airport for Swoop to fly into so you can get to S. Ontario for low fee, plus there are flights to other destinations that have London as just the connector so folks will just stop over on their way to somewhere else.
If you do it in summer you have pretty close access (30-45 minute drive) to beaches on both Lake Erie and Lake Huron.
If you do it in summer you have pretty close access (30-45 minute drive) to beaches on both Lake Erie and Lake Huron.
Apr 23, 2019, 10:47 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: YYG
Programs: airlines and hotels and rental cars - oh my!
Posts: 2,993
My guess is that there's probably more demand among people in Ontario who want to travel to the east coast than the other way around. Being able to do so on the cheap while avoiding a stop in YYZ is always going to have some appeal. I'm guessing this is a summer seasonal route?
Apr 24, 2019, 4:46 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: YYC, Canada
Programs: AC 35k
Posts: 1,898
They are using YXU as an alternate airport. WestJet used to run seasonal mainline YVR-YXU-YHZ, so they know the load factors. Guessing will be more profitable on Swoop. I'd be shocked if it remains year round though. YXU is within driving distance to lots of Southern Ontario locations. People often underestimate the size of YXU catchment too due to it being 1.5 hours out of YYZ. Metro CMA is over 500,000 and it draws traffic from Windsor, Chatham, and Sarnia. If not for the proximity of YYZ it would be a lot larger than it is.