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Discounting Christmas holiday travel


dagger

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Well, things have changed a bit

Dec. 20

YYZ-YVR (lowest fare range currently available, all nonstops)

AC - $279-399

JG - $255-274

WJ - $99

It's the same story Dec 21

Those should be the two busiest outbound days for transcon...

With yield management like this, you will soon be the low-fare leader again

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Every Xmas season is different. It all depends upon the day of the week that Xmas day falls upon. This year it is a Saturday.

Not too many people are starting early this year, like the 20th or the 21st. Look for 24th to be busy, but most people will not get going until after Xmas. I have hotel reservations for Xmas in Banff, a new family tradition. Our regular off the internet rate is $80 a night for the 24th, 25th, 26th. If we want to stay one more night, the 27th would be $200.

People who work Monday to Friday can take a week off and get 3 extra days going into January, or take the 25th through the 29th without using any vacation at all.

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Whatever the reason behind selling seats at $99, I hope we use it to our advantage, like promoting LiveTV to customers who may or may not have wanted to fly Westjet if it weren't for the price.

I don't think you can go out and heavily promote LiveTV until you get about two-thirds of the fleet so equipped. If you make a big deal about a product most people still won't get this month, you'll get lots of complaints. In late-February, which is a slow period, that would be the time to do a try-LiveTV seat sale...

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Every Xmas season is different. It all depends upon the day of the week that Xmas day falls upon. This year it is a Saturday.

Not too many people are starting early this year, like the 20th or the 21st. Look for 24th to be busy, but most people will not get going until after Xmas. I have hotel reservations for Xmas in Banff, a new family tradition. Our regular off the internet rate is $80 a night for the 24th, 25th, 26th. If we want to stay one more night, the 27th would be $200.

People who work Monday to Friday can take a week off and get 3 extra days going into January, or take the 25th through the 29th without using any vacation at all.

With all due respect, I know several people leaving YYZ the weekend before Xmas. With the holiday falling on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday, they take a couple of vacation days and can string out two full weeks off work. If they head out on Friday the 17th and were able to book a Sunday, Jan 2 return, they can be away for three weekends and with the three stats and a few vacation days spin this into a monster break.

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With all due respect, I know several people leaving YYZ the weekend before Xmas. ....

My point was that it is impossible to take history to predict what days Xmas travel will be heavy. History is what drives the revenue management systems.

The decision on what days are light and what days are going to be heavy needs carefull study. There is not a firm Xmas travel season. It does not start on a particular day like the summer holidays, or American Thanskgiving. It is very fluid.

Even in your sample of one, the people are not starting their holidays on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday this year. These days (Dec 20,21,22) are likely going to be quite light.

Hence the cheap seats.

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And the prices drop further...

Jetsgo, your true discount Canadian carrier, is again offering Beat-the-Clock Specials! But hurry, because you’ve only got until Sunday December 5 to take advantage of fantastic fares from as low as $19.

And while Beat-the-Clock Specials are available to everybody, remember that Jetsmilers are always the first to know about them. So if you’re not already onboard, sign-up now and get a heads-up on great deals to come.

Jetsgo Beat-the-Clock Specials. Get clicking!

Hurry up! Sale ends Sunday December 5th.

For travel until February 28th 2005.

FROM TORONTO

To Fare

Moncton $19

Halifax $19

Charlottetown $19

Sydney $19

New York (Newark) $19

New York (LaGuardia) $19

Winnipeg $29

Edmonton $39

St. John's $49

Vancouver $49

Calgary $49

FROM MONTREAL

To Fare

Winnipeg $29

Edmonton $39

Vancouver $49

Calgary $49

FROM OTTAWA

To Fare

Winnipeg $29

Edmonton $39

Vancouver $49

Calgary $49

FROM EDMONTON

To Fare

Vancouver $19

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I work for SG Neo and I couldn't agree more with you. It would litteraly cost me more to take a cab to the airport then to fly to YVR from YYZ. The loads the last few months seem to be erratic. There seems to be WAY to much capacity on the majority of the routes. I flew back from the south today and our load was combined with Sky Service and Air Transat and the plane still wasn't full. Air Canada hiring yet?

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NOTE: (This is for TOMORROW!)

Going out

HOT FARE CAN $88.00

Mon 06.12.04

Flight 179 7:30 am Depart Vancouver (BC) (YVR)

9:50 am Arrive Edmonton (AB) (YEG)

Coming back

SALE FARE CAN $19.00

Mon 06.12.04

Flight 174 5:10 pm Depart Edmonton (AB) (YEG)

5:45 pm Arrive Vancouver (BC) (YVR)

Total Cost of Flight CAN $ 191.76

Going out

SALE FARE CAN $146.00

Mon 06.12.04

Flight 171 8:55 am Depart Vancouver (BC) (YVR)

4:15 pm Arrive Toronto (ON) (YYZ)

Coming back

SALE FARE CAN $49.00

Mon 06.12.04

Flight 121 7:15 pm Depart Toronto (ON) (YYZ)

9:20 pm Arrive Vancouver (BC) (YVR)

Total Cost of Flight CAN $ 296.62

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I flew back from the south today and our load was combined with Sky Service and Air Transat and the plane still wasn't full. Air Canada hiring yet?

not wanting to be sarcastic but...

at TS, our flights are all pretty full, so if you carry any of our pax, must be our extras.

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You can be as sarcastic as you would like. I wouldn't say its over fill, i'd say its under fill. Our flights are mostly full going south as well BUT how many tour operators have combined to fill that airplane and what are they chargeing? Does AT have many cancelled flights so far this season? I know I have done flights with SSV flight numbers and I have seen AT planes taxiing by with jetsgo flight numbers. I went to POP a few months back and noticed SSV and AT both had cancelled their respective flights departing at roughly the same time to POP which made me wonder if we were carrying their pax.

My earlier post revolved around sched flights going south for us, not charters. The loads seem to be hit or miss. Because of your post I looked up the prices the tour operators are charging for your florida flights and they are lower then our prices most days.

I think there is WAY to much capacity and I think Neo said it best " Great deals for the traveling public. The implications for those of us trying to make a living in this industry are not good."

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I think there is WAY to much capacity and I think Neo said it best " Great deals for the traveling public. The implications for those of us trying to make a living in this industry are not good."

Agree completely.

And isn't it great that some continue to add 20 - 25 % capacity increases per quarter, then they turnaround and whine and moan about how bad things are and that yields are terrible.

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And isn't it great that some continue to add 20 - 25 % capacity increases per quarter, then they turnaround and whine and moan about how bad things are and that yields are terrible.

certainly not TS... anyway we can't compare with sched!

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Gumbi, any rumors on your end about what Transat is planning on spending some $$ on in 2005? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a news release or something to that effect about Transat making a big announcement in the first part of 2005 about the cash it has on hand?

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Gumbi, any rumors on your end about what Transat is planning on spending some $$ on in 2005? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a news release or something to that effect about Transat making a big announcement in the first part of 2005 about the cash it has on hand?

All I can think of is "fleet renewal" that is to be announced in Jan. or Feb.

Group Transat is also always on the lookout to buy another tour operator, especially in Europe or the US, at least from what we hear.

One thing I heard at one of our last meetings is that Air Transat expects to RECRUIT personnel in 2005, meaning that all layoffs would be recalled, so all bets are on!!!

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Guest Kilo Mike

One thing I heard at one of our last meetings is that Air Transat expects to RECRUIT personnel in 2005, meaning that all layoffs would be recalled, so all bets are on!!!

That's good news. Question for you. Do you folks have pilots on layoff? The reason I ask is WJ is doing a fair bit of flying for you guys and that would really blow if you had guys/gals on the street.

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