Quote:
Originally Posted by LeftCoaster
Apparently this route is seasonal winter only. What a terrible choice by AC. DXB is not a seasonal tourist route, it's the largest international connection airport on earth...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LeftCoaster
This isn't a bottom feeder tourism route like ATH or BCN, this should be a premier connection route competing with the likes of HKG and LHR... it's going to have a tough time to succeed if AC doesn't take it seriously.
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You're right in that it's rare to see an airline operate a seasonal route to DXB. EK doesn't have any seasonal destinations. Whatever they launch, it's year round. However, you can't compare AC and EK.
For AC, winter seasonal makes sense, especially as a start, for two reasons.
1. Have you been to Dubai in the summer? I have. It's freakin' hot ! I mean, 40-45C+ hot ! Winter is when you want to go. Much more pleasant temperatures.
2. The main connecting market AC is going after with this flight is to India, and that market's busiest season is winter as well.
It's also worth noting that AC is not the only winter seasonal carrier to DXB. LO from WAW, AY from HEL and VS from LHR all operate winter only as well. There are others as well.
So even though we were all surprised that this route is not year round, if you dig deeper, there is a reason for it. I think AC knows very well what it is doing, and if the route succeeds, it might very well get extended to year round. Until then, it probably feels there is more money to be made elsewhere.
Also, let's not forget this is one looonngg flight. Around 7,000nm with the detour around Russia. That's as long as YYZ-DEL. That eats into your yields, bigtime. AC is being prudent here, which is a smart move. Better to launch DXB as a seasonal route, and then maybe go year round if it meets or exceeds your expectations, vs launching year round and then realizing it was the wrong move.
As for your ATH/BCN comments, I can pretty much guarantee you the yields to the Mediterranean right now are better than any flight to DXB.
There is a reason why AC is running YUL-BCN year round, and YYZ/YUL-ATH until Nov 25/26 !
Quote:
Originally Posted by nname
There is another free slot out of YVR for S24 - the other 3x weekly on the days when PVG not operating. But that time slot is too short and wouldn't work well with DXB. AC recently decide to put the slot toward KIX from May to mid-June. From mid-June onward is still undecided. It can either be additional frequency for KIX/DUB, or increase PVG to daily if they are allowed to, a new 3x weekly route, or do a big shuffle and move the slot over to YYZ/YUL (like last year with adding YUL-AMS). Either way, AC will have to decide on that by probably next Feb at the latest.
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Just as I was saying above, again, this is a smart strategy by AC. Keeping its options open for a couple of more months to see what happens with China.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zahav
And the AA route to LHR had a lot of competition from DL, Virgin, BA.
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AA and BA don't compete on TATL flights. They have a JV. I wouldn't be surprised to see BA increase capacity to SEA because of AA's retreat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zahav
I too was a bit disappointed to not get EK, as they probably would have done year-round. I can't remember if they were maxed out on the bilateral when they added YUL,
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Yes, U.A.E carriers are now maxed out on the bilateral. The limit is 21x weekly per country.
EY flies daily to YYZ, and EK daily to both YYZ and YUL.
Canadian carriers still have plenty of room left to add flights, as AC is only 11x weekly to Dubai in peak winter, and no other Canadian carrier flies to DXB.