Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport - Page 151

Riverman · #**3001** Posted **Nov 4, 2015, 9:33 PM**

No need to apologise!

CoryB · #**3002** Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 3:00 PM**

So New Leaf was going to launch flights in August targeting the leisure travel market. They have pushed that back to before Christmas. The flights are still not on sale and lots of people are committing to their flights through the end of March already. It looks like they are also going to miss the lucrative winter sun travel season. Overall it really feels like they announced far earlier than they should have. I think it would have been better to come out and say "we are a new carrier and booking flights starts in a week."

esquire · #**3003** Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 3:19 PM**

^ The winter travel season doesn't really begin in earnest until around Christmas... at least that's what the link posted on the last page suggests to me. So NewLeaf isn't missing too much of the action provided it can get off the ground before the end of the calendar year.

http://www.waa.ca/flights/airlines/sun

But yeah, it doesn't really inspire much confidence, does it? Personally I'd be a little surprised if they ever put planes in the air.

CoryB · #**3004** Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 5:26 PM**

^^ The winter travel season might not start until December but people generally don't walk up to the airport and put a pile of cash on the counter asking for a flight later that day. Most booking occur weeks or months in advance. That is going to be the challenge for New Leaf is they seem to be working on the assumption they can announce flights are starting tomorrow and people with start calling them from their money phones.

A secondary concern for me is that even if New Leaf started flying tomorrow are they going to get me to somewhere sunny and warm and then the next day decide to immediately stop all operations leaving me without a return flight?

Having previously flown on Allegiant with their somewhat questionable on-time record the prospect of New Leaf seems even more fluid and unpredictable to me at this point.

Riverman · #**3005** Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 5:30 PM**

Booking has to be done now for some types of vacations, as soon as the flights become available. For me, I like to rent houses/villas when I go tropical, not stay in resorts. The good ones are booked a year in advance. We are working on one for Feb. 2017 right now.

Once the villa is booked, it is comforting to have the flights finalized ASAP. After Xmas is far too scary.

esquire · #**3006** Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 5:33 PM**

^ I'm a planner too... I typically book vacations close to a year out. But it amazes me how many people will book on a Tuesday to leave for Cancun on Sunday or whatever.

But either way, Cory has a point... if NewLeaf isn't in a position to take bookings soon they're going to miss out on the bulk of the winter holiday traffic. At this point I'm not sure I'd take a chance on them for this winter... at least not this far out.

Riverman · #**3007** Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 5:39 PM**

Is New Leaf even a thing? Or do they just consist of that one announcement?

I am way too chicken to use anything but a well-established airline. Not from a flight safety point, but the fact they could go broke at any moment is discerning to me.

Airline economics are pretty fragile as they are.

jmt18325 · #**3008** Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 7:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I'm a planner too... I typically book vacations close to a year out. But it amazes me how many people will book on a Tuesday to leave for Cancun on Sunday or whatever.

The best prices are, generally, 5 - 6 weeks from departure. I'm not sure that's true this year though. I'm thinking of booking soon though, because I never trust even my own eyes or experience.

CoryB · #**3009** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 4:19 PM**

New Leaf does exist and their previous go to market plan was to operate flights under contract from a long existing charter service. Basically New Leaf would handle everything not on the air side and the charter service would look after everything air side. That said, if New Leaf opened up bookings this winter offering insane discounts to fill planes and build a brand people will take a chance.

I know personally though, while getting stranded in Orlando or Phoenix for a week trying to get a flight back home might not be the worst thing for some people if would be challenging if you need to schedule time off work.

Overall it could work, but you could find that the day after you land you no longer have a flight back home...

rrskylar · #**3010** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverman

Not going on a milk run just for a few days. Has to be direct.

Allegiant, Grand Forks to Mesa (Phoenix) direct flight, no hassle airport, in and out in half the time it would take at Sky Harbor, downside the 2.5 hour drive to GF, parking at GF airport super cheap.

esquire · #**3011** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 5:07 PM**

^ I've priced out flights on Allegiant a few times for trips to Phoenix and once you factor in the various typical LCC extra costs and the hassle of driving down to GFK or FAR, the savings just aren't there compared to finding a sale fare from Winnipeg on AC, WS, DL or UA. I'm not going to drag my family down the highway to North Dakota in the winter to catch a flight so I can save a grand total of $150 or something like that.

Pinus · #**3012** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 6:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I've priced out flights on Allegiant a few times for trips to Phoenix and once you factor in the various typical LCC extra costs and the hassle of driving down to GFK or FAR, the savings just aren't there compared to finding a sale fare from Winnipeg on AC, WS, DL or UA. I'm not going to drag my family down the highway to North Dakota in the winter to catch a flight so I can save a grand total of $150 or something like that.

Exactly. I can't believe how some people are so desperate to save $100 or $200 on airfare. I mean, if you are taking a trip like that, you are going to need to spend money regardless, and I'd much rather fly out of Winnipeg than the US anyday.

buzzg · #**3013** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 6:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinus

Exactly. I can't believe how some people are so desperate to save $100 or $200 on airfare. I mean, if you are taking a trip like that, you are going to need to spend money regardless, and I'd much rather fly out of Winnipeg than the US anyday.

Exactly. The security here is almost non-existent compared to most US airports.... Except Boston, it actually weirded me out that I pretty much just walked right to the gate unchecked, just had to walk through a metal detector, no one stopped to ask any questions. And this was 6 months after the bombing lol.

jmt18325 · #**3014** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 7:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

Exactly. The security here is almost non-existent compared to most US airports.... Except Boston, it actually weirded me out that I pretty much just walked right to the gate unchecked, just had to walk through a metal detector, no one stopped to ask any questions. And this was 6 months after the bombing lol.

Laguardia had simple security, but probably the most disorganized that I've ever seen.

Canadian airports, in comparison to American ones, are a modern dream. We pay for what we get, I guess.

rrskylar · #**3015** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 7:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinus

Exactly. I can't believe how some people are so desperate to save $100 or $200 on airfare. I mean, if you are taking a trip like that, you are going to need to spend money regardless, and I'd much rather fly out of Winnipeg than the US anyday.

On a flight out of Fargo a few years back our group (four) saved about $1800 so it was worth it, mind you the C$ was better then.

jmt18325 · #**3016** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 7:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

On a flight out of Fargo a few years back our group (four) saved about $1800 so it was worth it, mind you the C$ was better then.

Right now, you can fly to LV with Westjet including hotel (4 nights) for $784 for two people. Those flights aren't direct, I'll grant you (not the right days) but that's hard to beat.

esquire · #**3017** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 8:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

On a flight out of Fargo a few years back our group (four) saved about $1800 so it was worth it, mind you the C$ was better then.

Yeah, for a while a few years ago there Allegiant was beating the pants off the Canadian carriers but in the last couple of years it just hasn't been the same. These days the differences appear pretty marginal.

CoryB · #**3018** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 10:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinus

Exactly. I can't believe how some people are so desperate to save $100 or $200 on airfare. I mean, if you are taking a trip like that, you are going to need to spend money regardless, and I'd much rather fly out of Winnipeg than the US anyday.

By the time you factor in gas to drive to GF and back and the parking for your car you have almost burned that $100 in savings, and you better hope that highway isn't close by a blizzard on either day you are planning to drive those 2.5 hours...

Granted the type of goods you can bring back with a GF stop over is different than a flight into YWG but that is a separate discussion anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Canadian airports, in comparison to American ones, are a modern dream. We pay for what we get, I guess.

Connected through YVR, YYC and YYZ and every single one of them is a complete nightmare. Maybe I am missing some level of detail but you clear security before you get on the plane why is there not a "skip re-scanning" line for travellers landing at a Canadian airport proceeding directly to another connecting flight? Yes, still clear Canadian customs but instead of dumping passengers into the arrivals hall allow them to remain in a secured area and by-pass security. Further, arriving on a US flight in either YYC or YYZ (never done it at YVR) you end up walking through miles and miles of secured hallways to get to customs. Why not have a handful of gates close to customs and make them dedicated to arrivals needing customs clearance? I still remember going to Vegas before YWG had pre-clearance and the plane landed at the US Customs terminal. No long way through the entire airport, you were right there. It was a little intimidating as it is completely isolated from the rest of the airport but that was truly an efficient setup.

Pinus · #**3019** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 10:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

On a flight out of Fargo a few years back our group (four) saved about $1800 so it was worth it, mind you the C$ was better then.

Perhaps. I have compared pricing myself over the years and have never seen savings of that magnitude as you claim. I think $1000 is the most I have ever calculated.

You must have got a really super-cheap deal that day.

jmt18325 · #**3020** Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 11:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

Connected through YVR, YYC and YYZ and every single one of them is a complete nightmare.

I actually never had a problem in any. The last time in YYZ (T3) was a bit more difficult as the renovations are making things take far longer. generally, airport security for me takes about....60 seconds, sometimes 5 minutes .