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Ac Express Q400's


manwest

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I am not sure I see the competitive angle concerning Westjet here. All of these routes, except perhaps Calgary - Grande Prairie, are already served by Westjet with Boeing aircraft. These have operated for some time and Westjet does not have a history of carrying unprofitable routes. One has to conclude Westjet operates these with good load factors and profitable yields. Also, as the dominant carrier, Westjet pretty much sets fares. It would take a really good argument to convince them to replace the Boeings with an aircraft with a higher unit cost just to match a smaller competitor.

If Westjet were to replace jets with props on Western Canadian routes, this would merely create room underneath for the next competitor. There will be new airlines. It has now been proven that these routes can support service with large aircraft.

Air Canada is merely lowering their unit costs as best they can. They still have a certain amount of locked-in connecting business and the Aeroplan fanatics. Western Canada is no longer a competitive marketplace for them.

Or so it seems to me.

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I am not sure I see the competitive angle concerning Westjet here. All of these routes, except perhaps Calgary - Grande Prairie, are already served by Westjet with Boeing aircraft. These have operated for some time and Westjet does not have a history of carrying unprofitable routes. One has to conclude Westjet operates these with good load factors and profitable yields. Also, as the dominant carrier, Westjet pretty much sets fares. It would take a really good argument to convince them to replace the Boeings with an aircraft with a higher unit cost just to match a smaller competitor.

If Westjet were to replace jets with props on Western Canadian routes, this would merely create room underneath for the next competitor. There will be new airlines. It has now been proven that these routes can support service with large aircraft.

Lets take a look at Saskatchewan market for WS vs AC. While WS is dominant on YYC-YXE/YQR flts, they do not have service to YWG or YVR and only single daily flt to YYZ and YEG compared to AC with multiple daily flts. For BC, YEG, and Central Canada, WS hubs its Saskatchewan customers through YYC. The question then becomes does WS expand YYZ service from Saskatchewan and downgrade YYC service to compensate? Perhaps YYC-YXE/YQR could only support Q400 if there is expanded service to YYZ and YVR.

YMM market is the same for WS vs AC. WS is current strategy is to hub in either YEG or YYC, while AC has daily 320 to YYZ and 7 daily to YYC (soon to be 6-7 Q400s) with 6 daily to YEG. If WS wants to get competitive in YMM they should put the Q400 into YMM from both YEG and YYC and then match AC to YYZ.

Lets also look at Okanagan, once WS got into YKA their YLW service took a beating as the new service cannibalized existing flts. It does question whether WS can sustain 737 service to YLW and introduce service to YFF and make a go of it in YKA, perhaps all three markets need to go onto the Q400 or don't serve YFF at all.

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Lets take a look at Saskatchewan market for WS vs AC. While WS is dominant on YYC-YXE/YQR flts, they do not have service to YWG or YVR and only single daily flt to YYZ and YEG compared to AC with multiple daily flts. For BC, YEG, and Central Canada, WS hubs its Saskatchewan customers through YYC. The question then becomes does WS expand YYZ service from Saskatchewan and downgrade YYC service to compensate? Perhaps YYC-YXE/YQR could only support Q400 if there is expanded service to YYZ and YVR.

YMM market is the same for WS vs AC. WS is current strategy is to hub in either YEG or YYC, while AC has daily 320 to YYZ and 7 daily to YYC (soon to be 6-7 Q400s) with 6 daily to YEG. If WS wants to get competitive in YMM they should put the Q400 into YMM from both YEG and YYC and then match AC to YYZ.

Lets also look at Okanagan, once WS got into YKA their YLW service took a beating as the new service cannibalized existing flts. It does question whether WS can sustain 737 service to YLW and introduce service to YFF and make a go of it in YKA, perhaps all three markets need to go onto the Q400 or don't serve YFF at all.

Everyone seems to be thinking Encore will only be serving new bases but as gregg said when it was first announced, I think you will see a lot of cities getting connected that were not connected directly before - YXE / YQR - YWG for example.

I don't see YMM getting prop service, the YMM loads are very good.

You could not be more wrong about YKA cannibalizing YLW. Ask any employee trying to get there how busy YLW is, stand-by nightmare, loads are great.

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Everyone seems to be thinking Encore will only be serving new bases but as gregg said when it was first announced, I think you will see a lot of cities getting connected that were not connected directly before - YXE / YQR - YWG for example.

I don't see YMM getting prop service, the YMM loads are very good.

You could not be more wrong about YKA cannibalizing YLW. Ask any employee trying to get there how busy YLW is, stand-by nightmare, loads are great.

Okay fine be the WS marketing and scheduling department for one day. Where will Encore go. Your right that they will do YXE/YQR-YWG but that is only good for 1-2 daily flts on the Q400.

Right now WS is getting killed in YMM market by AC. YYC-YMM is 2 daily plus a 1 stop thru YEG. YEG-YMM service adds one more daily to the mix (total 2 daily including the afore mentioned through flt. No service to the east and none to BC. YMM loads are good for a reason, the market is underserved by WS. Only way to expand the YMM market is through Encore Q400 to match AC flt for flt.

WS had 5-6 daily flts YYC-YLW in 2006/07 today there are only 4 flts on the current winter schedule. 2006 also had n/s YLW-YYZ. If YKA did not cannibalize YLW where did the 5th daily flt go? Secondly, YFF-YYC on Encore will cannibalize YLW, where will the pax come from???

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Okay fine be the WS marketing and scheduling department for one day. Where will Encore go. Your right that they will do YXE/YQR-YWG but that is only good for 1-2 daily flts on the Q400.

Right now WS is getting killed in YMM market by AC. YYC-YMM is 2 daily plus a 1 stop thru YEG. YEG-YMM service adds one more daily to the mix (total 2 daily including the afore mentioned through flt. No service to the east and none to BC. YMM loads are good for a reason, the market is underserved by WS. Only way to expand the YMM market is through Encore Q400 to match AC flt for flt.

WS had 5-6 daily flts YYC-YLW in 2006/07 today there are only 4 flts on the current winter schedule. 2006 also had n/s YLW-YYZ. If YKA did not cannibalize YLW where did the 5th daily flt go? Secondly, YFF-YYC on Encore will cannibalize YLW, where will the pax come from???

In 2006/2007 YLW didn't have 8+ weekly flights to the US & Mexico. It will this winter. The landscape can change a lot in a few years and for various reasons.

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I think what is very telling right now is WestJet's load factor. It is higher than its ever been because the schedule is tweaked as well as it can be. I would bet you that marketing could place 10 more aircraft in the schedule right now with nary a hickup.

I too believe that the Q400 will be doing more connect the dots than replacing the NG. Some routes sure but not many I suspect?

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I agree with your schedule comments.

I bet the marketing and scheduling teams are salivating over what this airplane can do for them.

There is 7 YYC-YEG flights. I'm sure that route is a prime candidate for Q400. Where now the same number of seats can be spread over 14 flights with what I bet is a very similar cost structure.

Now the WS product in that market is more attractive.

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Having to endure the "flying experience" even longer....

YYC-YYJ 1:59 on Q400, 1:31 on 737 = 28 minutes

YZF-YEG 2:11 on Q400, 1:41 on 737 = 30 minutes

YMM-YYC 1:28 on Q400, 1:15 on 737 = 13 minutes

YQR-YYC 1:39 on Q400, 1:21 on 737 = 18 minutes

:icon_oak:

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Well to put a positive spin on it, I've spent plenty of time in the back end of both the Q and the CRJ, and I can say with no hesitation that from a purely ergonomic/comfort POV, the Q is more comfortable. I've not been in the back of a WS NG- I'm sure it's lovely too.

Yes you may have to spend a bit more time enduring the "flying experience", but the economics of this machine must be realized. Since the consumer wants to fly everywhere for next to nothing, the airlines (including WS) are being forced to cut costs, and using an airplane that only burns 1800 lbs an hour is one way of doing it.

Besides, http://vimeo.com/14975413

*Edited for spellin' and emphasis.

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Having to endure the "flying experience" even longer....

YYC-YYJ 1:59 on Q400, 1:31 on 737 = 28 minutes

YZF-YEG 2:11 on Q400, 1:41 on 737 = 30 minutes

YMM-YYC 1:28 on Q400, 1:15 on 737 = 13 minutes

YQR-YYC 1:39 on Q400, 1:21 on 737 = 18 minutes

:icon_oak:

At what point is the flight time a wash? 1 hour?

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New Schedule is:

FOCUS on WESTERN CANADA

Air Canada is increase service in Western Canada by increasing frequency, and aircraft change starting next February.

Calgary - Fort McMurray

7 daily (from 6 daily)

350 daily seats (from 300)

Calgary - Grande Prairie

5 daily (from 4 daily)

250 daily seats (from 200)

Calgary - Yellowknife

2 daily (from 1 daily)

100 daily seats (from 50)

Edmonton - Fort McMurray

7 daily (from 6 daily)

350 daily seats (from 300)

Edmonton - Regina

2 daily (from 1 daily)

100 daily seats (from 50)

Edmonton - Saskatoon

2 daily (from 1 daily)

100 daily seats (from 50)

Vancouver - Fort St. John

5 daily (from 4 daily)

250 daily seats (from 200)

Vancouver - Nanaimo

7 daily (from 6 daily)

350 daily seats (from 300

Introduction of 74-seats Q400, replacing 50-seat CRJ on the following markets

City Pairs

Starting

Calgary - Fort McMurray

February

Calgary - Regina

Calgary - Saskatoon

Calgary - Yellowknife

April

Calgary - Grande Prairie

March

Calgary - Victoria

Calgary - Edmonton

Edmonton - Fort McMurray

Edmonton - Yellowknife

April

Edmonton - Winnipeg

May

:cool: :cool: :cool:

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