(YEG) Edmonton International Airport Part 4 (October 2023)

[JSS1974]

Originally Posted by ace.yyc

Correct.

This isn't some flex, it's just frustrating reading so many posts in here by people who have no idea what they're talking about sulking about how much every airline hates YEG and no pre-pandemic service is coming back when tons of stuff is happening behind the scenes.

Just takes time.

More frequencies on YEG-LAX will be loaded soon. Not bookable yet.

Can you get us a Newark flight, and a London Heathrow flight.

[TheGreatestX]

Originally Posted by JSS1974

Can you get us a Newark flight, and a London Heathrow flight.

If WestJet launches New York flights from Edmonton it will be to JFK not EWR.

[Jaws]

Originally Posted by JSS1974

Can you get us a Newark flight, and a London Heathrow flight.

LHR (or LGW), JFK and ORD. FRA thrown in for good measure, and all is good.

[ace.yyc]

A big limiting factor for WS right now is a lack of 787s. They cut a daily YYC-LGW service that had great load factor so they could fly NRT daily instead. If they are able to both acquire another LHR slot and find more 787s, they could maybe do an AC898 type of split operation with the second slot running 4x YYC and 3x YEG. Any long haul service right now for YEG would come at the expense of newly expanded service from YYC, which is unlikely.

I agree that it'd be JFK before EWR, and also think it'd be UA Express on YEG-ORD before WS launches it.

[msmariner]

Originally Posted by ace.yyc

A big limiting factor for WS right now is a lack of 787s. They cut a daily YYC-LGW service that had great load factor so they could fly NRT daily instead. If they are able to both acquire another LHR slot and find more 787s, they could maybe do an AC898 type of split operation with the second slot running 4x YYC and 3x YEG. Any long haul service right now for YEG would come at the expense of newly expanded service from YYC, which is unlikely.

I agree that it'd be JFK before EWR, and also think it'd be UA Express on YEG-ORD before WS launches it.

On top WS not sacrificing YYC routes for YEG. It’s much easier to add more long haul routes from YYC because of the large amount of feeder routes they have into YYC to feed all the flights. Either being domestic or trans border ones. Think if YEG wants more access to Europe it will be with KLM or Condor.

[ace.yyc]

Originally Posted by msmariner

On top WS not sacrificing YYC routes for YEG. It’s much easier to add more long haul routes from YYC because of the large amount of feeder routes they have into YYC to feed all the flights. Either being domestic or trans border ones. Think if YEG wants more access to Europe it will be with KLM or Condor.

Agreed. This is why stuff like the additional LAX frequency for YEG is good. It's very slowly but surely building up a connection base that WS could leverage in the long term.

[LO 044]

I like to dream too but before we start asking for flights to Madrid and Taipei let's support the flights we are getting. Ideally, we should be connecting through Minneapolis and Atlanta instead of Calgary to bump up the non-stop US flights however pricing might dictate otherwise. I still have trouble flying through YYC to Europe as opposed to YVR, YUL and YYZ. I can't afford AC's premium for a connection at YYC. Go figure.

With all the flights opening up in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg I wonder if YYC is too much of a gong show to connect through and WS is veering away slightly from YYC. Don't get me wrong there are tons of flights out of YYC but are any of the "banks of flights" out of YYC full so to speak? Resulting in gates being unavailable for aircraft and more flights? I'm sure Acey can respond pretty quickly on this one.

[christopherj]

Originally Posted by LO 044

Ideally, we should be connecting through Minneapolis and Atlanta instead of Calgary to bump up the non-stop US flights however pricing might dictate otherwise.

I hope they make it easier to book connecting flights through Westjet into the US markets.

I had to book with Delta to get YEG -> MSP -> MCO which works out perfect from a timing point of view.

Westjet would only give me options like YEG -> YYZ -> MCO, YEG -> YWG -> MCO or my favourite YEG -> YWG -> ATL -> MCO (a wonderful 25 hour trip).

[ace.yyc]

Originally Posted by LO 044

With all the flights opening up in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg I wonder if YYC is too much of a gong show to connect through and WS is veering away slightly from YYC. Don't get me wrong there are tons of flights out of YYC but are any of the "banks of flights" out of YYC full so to speak? Resulting in gates being unavailable for aircraft and more flights?

YYC is a gongshow yes, but they're also adding tons at YYC alongside the additions at YEG, so not veering away at all. YYC-ATL goes to double daily. DTW gets bumped to daily, and re-timed to put it right at the most chaotic transborder push of the morning. DEN/BNA/ORD increased to daily. BOS up to 5x weekly. New PDX mainline service. New LAX 787 service. PHX to 3x daily.

Safe to say the YEG transborder expansion is not coming at the expense of YYC.

The only slight gate crunch at YYC for S24 will be around 5 to 7 pm for Europe widebodies, depending on the day... but most transborders leave in the morning.

[faraz39]

Originally Posted by ace.yyc

YYC is a gongshow yes, but they're also adding tons at YYC alongside the additions at YEG, so not veering away at all. YYC-ATL goes to double daily. DTW gets bumped to daily, and re-timed to put it right at the most chaotic transborder push of the morning. DEN/BNA/ORD increased to daily. BOS up to 5x weekly. New PDX mainline service. New LAX 787 service. PHX to 3x daily.

Safe to say the YEG transborder expansion is not coming at the expense of YYC.

The only slight gate crunch at YYC for S24 will be around 5 to 7 pm for Europe widebodies, depending on the day... but most transborders leave in the morning.

Do you anticipate any more new transborder routes or additional frequencies for YEG?

[YegFan]

Originally Posted by ace.yyc

YYC is a gongshow yes, but they're also adding tons at YYC alongside the additions at YEG, so not veering away at all. YYC-ATL goes to double daily. DTW gets bumped to daily, and re-timed to put it right at the most chaotic transborder push of the morning. DEN/BNA/ORD increased to daily. BOS up to 5x weekly. New PDX mainline service. New LAX 787 service. PHX to 3x daily.

Safe to say the YEG transborder expansion is not coming at the expense of YYC.

The only slight gate crunch at YYC for S24 will be around 5 to 7 pm for Europe widebodies, depending on the day... but most transborders leave in the morning.

Well..I see that WS YEG transborder expansion will eliminate Flair's flights to SFO, LAX and BNA. So aside from MSP and ATL, the other flights are a wash.

[EDM753Fan]

Originally Posted by YegFan

Well..I see that WS YEG transborder expansion will eliminate Flair's flights to SFO, LAX and BNA. So aside from MSP and ATL, the other flights are a wash.

I'd take WS over Flair any day of the week though. ULCC's are so volatile that they could drop out very quickly. Slow and steady growth with WS means they won't get "shiny object syndrome" and suddenly focus on other routes like some of the US carriers have done in the past.

This is definitely onward and upward for YEG!

[hehehe]

Originally Posted by EDM753Fan

I'd take WS over Flair any day of the week though. ULCC's are so volatile that they could drop out very quickly. Slow and steady growth with WS means they won't get "shiny object syndrome" and suddenly focus on other routes like some of the US carriers have done in the past.

This is definitely onward and upward for YEG!

Plus there'll be some, even if just a few, connections on WS into YEG to feed these flights. In the past year WS has added SEA/MSP/ATL/BNA/SFO from YEG and have already increased LAX/MSP, they're on a roll and it's not over yet. I don't think Flair ever flew to SFO 5x weekly from YEG so either way this is a capacity bump.

[YegFan]

Originally Posted by hehehe

Plus there'll be some, even if just a few, connections on WS into YEG to feed these flights. In the past year WS has added SEA/MSP/ATL/BNA/SFO from YEG and have already increased LAX/MSP, they're on a roll and it's not over yet. I don't think Flair ever flew to SFO 5x weekly from YEG so either way this is a capacity bump.

^ not suggesting that Flair's schedule was better or allowed for connections.

Definitely the WS flights are more reliable.

I am just saying that it's unlikely that Flair will return and serve these routes next summer.

All that is needed are a link to down east (NYC or ORD) and another to the south (DFW or IAH).

[ace.yyc]

I'd be surprised if Flair completely bails on all of them from YEG before they even restart for the season. I 100% agree that they will ultimately withdraw, but bailing this early hasn't really been their MO for YEG recently. The primary advantage of flying WS is for connections on either their own metal or DL's, and there's pretty much nothing on the US side for SFO, LAX and BNA.

[tuffyy]

United will be switching the YEG - DEN route to twice daily mainline A320’s starting March 1.

[EdmTrekker]

Originally Posted by tuffyy

United will be switching the YEG - DEN route to twice daily A320’s starting March 1.

That is a nice uptick. The 150 seater to be retrofitted with United's Signature Interior by 2025
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_fleet

[ace.yyc]

Yes, huge bump in seats - this is the "more" I was talking about. May or may not be more still coming from UA for y'all...

For the mainline DEN the start date I heard was March 31 which matches what's currently bookable, so we'll keep on it I guess.

[LO 044]

Is it fair to say that this UA/Star Alliance increase is due to the WS MSP and ATL routes being started up?

[Touch go]

Originally Posted by ace.yyc

Yes, huge bump in seats - this is the "more" I was talking about. May or may not be more still coming from UA for y'all...

For the mainline DEN the start date I heard was March 31 which matches what's currently bookable, so we'll keep on it I guess.

Is this supposed to be year round. United website only shows its until May 22nd then back to E175