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[Guest]

Air Canada to launch Vancouver-Frankfurt and Vancouver-London Gatwick flights for Summer 2017

Strategic increase of international flights at YVR hub offers additional choice to Europe and beyond

VANCOUVER, Nov. 9, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today announced it is further boosting international flights at its Vancouver hub next summer with daily seasonal flights from YVR to Frankfurt, and three times weekly seasonal flights from YVR to London Gatwick. Flights begin June 1, 2017 and June 8, 2017 respectively, and tickets are now available for purchase.

"Air Canada continues to strategically increase its European flights at YVR with seasonal daily flights to Frankfurt next summer and three times weekly flights to London Gatwick," said Benjamin Smith, Air Canada President, Passenger Airlines. "The addition of our flights to Frankfurt, one of Europe's most important hubs, offers customers a wide array of convenient choices and the ease of one-stop connections with our Star Alliance partner Lufthansa when travelling to southern, central and eastern Europe as well as Africa, the Middle East and beyond.

"We will be the only airline flying non-stop between YVR and the two largest airports in the London metropolitan region during the peak summer travel period with the addition of London Gatwick. By next summer, Air Canada will serve five European destinations non-stop from YVR including two significant hubs, Frankfurt and London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Dublin, and on a code-share basis with joint venture partner Lufthansa Munich, strengthening YVR as an important hub that connects our B.C., Western Canada and U.S. routes to our expanding international network," concluded Mr. Smith.

"What an amazing year it has been for Air Canada and YVR," said Craig Richmond, President & CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority. "I want to thank Air Canada for continuing to grow its international hub out of YVR and delivering a steady stream of excellent new services. Air Canada's new non-stop services to Frankfurt and Gatwick will further expand this award-winning airline's reach into key European markets and will provide incredible benefits for our passengers, partners and communities."

"Air Canada's new flights from YVR to Frankfurt and London Gatwick are great news for B.C.'s diverse tourism sector. Already this year we've seen year over year European visitors increase by nearly 18 per cent. These new flights will bring even more visitors while creating jobs and spin-off benefits in our hotels, tourism attractions and businesses," said the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism & Skills Training in BC.

Vancouver-Frankfurt flights

Air Canada's Vancouver-Frankfurt flights will be operated with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, featuring a choice of three cabins configured with 20 International Business Class individual lie-flat suites, 21 Premium Economy seats and 210 Economy Class seats. Air Canada's Dreamliners also feature an enhanced seatback In-Flight Entertainment system which is available at every seat throughout the aircraft. All Air Canada flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access in Vancouver and in Frankfurt, priority boarding and other benefits. Air Canada's Frankfurt flights complement daily flights operated from Vancouver by Star Alliance partner Lufthansa.

 

Flight	From	To	Depart	Arrive
AC840	Vancouver (YVR)	Frankfurt (FRA)	12:25	07:05 (+1 day)
AC841	Frankfurt (FRA)	Vancouver (YVR)	10:00	10:55

 

Next summer, Air Canada will operate to Frankfurt from five points across Canada: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

Vancouver-London Gatwick flights

Air Canada's Vancouver-London Gatwick service will be operated by Air Canada Rouge with Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft featuring premium and economy cabins. Flights are timed to optimize connectivity to and from flights within BC and the Pacific North West at Air Canada's Vancouver hub. All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access in Vancouver, priority boarding and other benefits.

 

Flight	From	To	Depart	Arrive
AC1934	Vancouver (YVR)	London Gatwick (LGW)	16:45 Tue, Thur, Sat.	10:25 (+1 day)
AC1935	London Gatwick (LGW)	Vancouver (YVR)	12:00 Tue, Thur, Sat.	14:10

 

Next summer, Air Canada Rouge will operate to London Gatwick from two points across Canada:  Vancouver and Toronto.

Air Canada's ongoing international expansion this year has included the recent launch of Vancouver-Delhi, Vancouver-Brisbane, Vancouver-Dublin, Toronto-Seoul, Toronto-London Gatwick, Toronto-Prague, Toronto-Budapest, Toronto-Warsaw, Toronto-Glasgow, Montreal-Casablanca and Montreal-Lyon.

In 2017, the airline will launch new international services between Vancouver-Taipei, Vancouver-Nagoya, Vancouver-Frankfurt, Vancouver-London Gatwick, Toronto-Mumbai, Toronto-Berlin, Montreal-Shanghai, Montreal-Algiers and Montreal-Marseille.

Last year, Air Canada launched new international services between Vancouver-Osaka, Toronto-Delhi, Toronto-Amsterdam, Toronto-Dubai, Montreal-Venice and Montreal-Mexico City.

[Guest]

ANALYSIS: What does a Trump presidency mean for US air transport?

• 09 November, 2016
• BY: Edward Russell
• Washington DC

Donald Trump was elected president of the USA on 8 November, a victory for change over status quo candidate secretary Hillary Clinton.

President-elect Trump emphasised protectionist views during the campaign, repeatedly touting plans to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and reject the USA’s free trade agreements, including the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

He also emphasised bringing jobs back to the USA, which he claims were lost as a result of globalisation.

Air transport issues are one topic that Trump was mostly silent on during the campaign.

Trump will face a number of pending international air transport issues, barring 11th hour actions by the lame duck administration of president Barack Obama, when he takes office on 20 January 2017. These include on-going informal discussions with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates over open skies, and pending foreign air carrier permits for Norwegian’s Irish and UK subsidiaries.

American Airlines and LATAM Airlines also have a proposed joint venture pending before the US Department of Justice.

Beyond these immediately pending issues are topics that are likely to come up during his administration. These include a new air service agreement with the UK after it leaves the EU, and expanding access to Beijing and Shanghai as airlines from both China and the USA hit the existing limits.

ME3

The Qatar and UAE discussions follow allegations by the US mainline carriers that Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have benefitted from more than $40 billion in government subsidies, which have allowed them to dump capacity in the US market.

American, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines argued that each new daily widebody flight on one of the three Gulf carriers resulted in a net loss of roughly 821 jobs in the USA.

US carriers would be forced to exit some domestic markets, especially small communities, as the airlines lost international feed in markets where they were unable to compete with the Gulf airlines, they said in a 2015 white paper.

The Gulf carriers have vehemently denied the subsidy allegations, saying they compete fairly with their US counterparts.

Trump’s emphasis on international protectionism and bringing jobs back to the US suggest a potentially hard line stance towards the Gulf carriers. However, he has not commented on the issue.

NORWEGIAN

The US Department of Transportation has all but approved Norwegian’s application for a foreign air carrier permit for its NAI subsidiary. The regulator released a tentative decision granting the permit in April, but has not issued a final decision despite closing the comment period in May.

US labour unions are firmly opposed to NAI due to its use of what they call a flag of convenience in Ireland. They argue that the airline would be able to undercut US carriers - hurting US jobs – by being based in the low-tax European country and using labour based in other low cost countries, like Thailand.

EU officials have lambasted the US delays approving NAI’s permit. A separate application by Norwegian for a foreign air carrier permit for its UK subsidiary remains pending before the DOT.

Trump’s protectionist and pro-US labour comments suggest a decision against NAI.

US AIRLINES

US airlines, at least American, Delta and United, stand as potential beneficiaries of a Trump presidency. They may receive support in their campaigns against the Gulf carriers and Norwegian.

However, the same policies that could benefit the three mainline carriers could also hurt smaller US airlines, including Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue Airways. All three have extensive codeshare networks that, at least at Alaska and JetBlue, include partnerships with the Gulf carriers, and either are or plan to expand internationally.

JetBlue has cautioned that a rejection of NAI's application could create obstacles for it when it begins the process of launching service to Europe, as it warns of reciprocal treatment from EU aviation authorities.

Separately, Trump has said he will reduce the corporate tax rate in the USA. This would likely be a benefit to all US carriers.

[vanishing point]

YVR-Gatwick is a welcome alternative.  Used to hop on the Canadi>n Airlines flight back in the late 90's.

[deicer]

What is the departure tax at LGW compared to LHR?  Could that explain the popularity in part?

[Guest]

52 minutes ago, deicer said:

What is the departure tax at LGW compared to LHR?  Could that explain the popularity in part?

For AC I suspect it is an opportunity to take on Westjet's B767 YVR-LGW operation. 

[Guest]

ANALYSIS: Trump win likely to fuel simmering airline disputes

• 09 November, 2016
• BY: Ghim-Lay Yeo
• Washington DC

US opponents of three Gulf carriers and Norwegian are hoping to find a sympathetic audience in President-elect Donald Trump, casting uncertainty over how a new administration will treat several hot button issues that have divided the airline industry.

While Trump has not publicly taken sides in the disputes involving three Gulf carriers - Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways - and Norwegian, groups that are against the US expansion of these foreign airlines are seeking the president-elect’s listening ear.

A coalition of US airlines and labour groups that accuses the three Gulf carriers of receiving unfair state subsidies says it looks forward to briefing Trump and his new government on the issue.

Backed by Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines, the coalition says the alleged subsidies to the Gulf airlines place 300,000 US aviation jobs in peril. “We are optimistic that the Trump administration will stand up to the UAE and Qatar, enforce our trade agreements and fight for American jobs,” says a spokesman for the Partnership for Fair and Open Skies.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker appears unconcerned over any implications that a Trump presidency could bring to the subsidies dispute. Along with Emirates and Etihad, the Doha-based carrier has denied the allegations that it benefits from state subsidies.

Al Baker, who says his relationship with Trump “goes way back”, appears to shrug off any concerns that Trump could back his US opponents in the dispute. This is despite Trump’s hardline stance against the Middle East in his proposals for changes to immigration and foreign policy.

“I have always said that the rhetoric that surrounded Mr Trump’s campaign with respect to our region is only political in nature, and I am certain that the road ahead will clearly demonstrate that Qatar and the United States have enjoyed a long standing partnership and are close allies,” says Al Baker.

“We are confident that this relationship will only continue to grow, and will forge stronger ties across the Middle East region as a whole.”

Emirates and Etihad did not immediately comment on how Trump’s win could impact them.

The Gulf subsidies dispute has sharply divided the airline industry in the past two years. Following intense lobbying, the current Obama administration held informal talks with officials in the UAE and Qatar, but has yet to take any action.

IAG chief executive Willie Walsh, who had previously raised alarm over what he believed to be increasing protectionism in the US aviation industry, says it is in the new US government’s interest to ensure a US-UK bilateral air services agreement that is pro-competition after the Brexit vote.

“If [Trump] is to deliver on the promises he gave – growing employment and strengthen the economy – aviation is going to be a key facilitator to achieving those goals,” says Walsh while speaking at the International Aviation Club in Washington DC.

“It is in both countries’ interests that a UK-US agreement ensures that consumers and businesses continue to benefit from the improved competition, choice and value that has been delivered by the EU-US open-skies agreement.”

The EU-US open-skies deal is already a point of contention in US criticism of Norwegian, whose plans to operate to the US from two European subsidiaries have been opposed. Norwegian’s critics today drew attention to Trump’s trade policy that prioritises the US economy, as it renewed its call for Norwegian’s foreign air carrier permits to be denied.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which accuses Norwegian of seeking to undermine labour laws, says: “ALPA remains committed to working with current and newly elected officials on collaborative efforts to call for the enforcement of US air transport agreements and fair competition for US airlines and their workers by opposing Norwegian Air International’s foreign air carrier permit application.”

A Norwegian spokesperson says it is too early to comment on the impact of Trump’s presidency, but reiterates that Norwegian’s US expansion plans comply with the US-EU open-skies treaty. He also points out Norwegian’s hiring of US pilots, which he says is in line with Trump’s mission to create more jobs.

BOOST FOR AIRPORTS AND ATC

US airlines are hoping that a Trump presidency could usher in airport infrastructure spending and rejuvenate a controversial plan to privatise US air traffic control.

Trade association Airlines for America (A4A), which represents nine US carriers, pushed for Trump’s support for a privatised ATC system. “We’re eager to work with President-elect Trump to transform it to reduce delays for the 2.2 million passengers and 50,000 tons of cargo that fly every day,” says A4A president and chief executive Nicholas Calio.

The plan to privatise ATC, proposed by Republican congressman Bill Shuster, had failed to receive widespread support in the US Congress. But Trump’s win and the retention of power by the Republicans in both chambers of the Congress could deliver fresh impetus to the proposed privatisation, which is supported by most US carriers.

A4A and US airports welcome Trump’s earlier comments that he would seek to create $1 trillion in infrastructure investment within the first 100 days of his presidency. “We look forward to Congress returning to the mindset that prevailed for generations that infrastructure investments should be differentiated from other spending and that 'concrete knows no political affiliations’,” says Todd Hauptil, the president and chief executive of the American Association of Airport Executives.

REPERCUSSIONS IN LATIN AMERICA

A Trump presidency will likely prompt concerns over newly reinstated air service to Cuba and could potentially impact growth of US-Mexico transborder traffic.

Trump has vowed to reverse President Obama’s move to restore relations with Cuba, which saw a return of US airline scheduled flights in August after a hiatus of more than 50 years.

It is not immediately clear if the new bilateral air services agreement will be affected, but SIlver Airways chief executive Sami Teittinen believes that Trump is not likely to take “any drastic actions”.

Silver serves several destinations in Cuba from Fort Lauderdale.

Cuba has not officially commented on Trump’s win, but today announced a week of military drills to prepare for “enemy actions”, say reports.

Closer to the US, a Trump presidency could spell out longer-term consequences for US-Mexico transborder traffic, which was recently boosted with a new liberalised air services treaty.

The Mexican peso fell by as much as 13% after Trump’s victory, following a campaign in which he called for a wall to be built on the southern US border with Mexico - to be paid for by Mexico. Mexico’s government reiterates today that it will not pay for a wall

[CanadaEH]

Trust Malcolm to make the title of this thread as vague as possible ("back to the theme of this forum") and then proceed to include two separate posts about Trump. 

[CanadaEH]

You can bet the YVR-LGW addition is to directly compete with WS. 

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, CanadaEH said:

Trust Malcolm to make the title of this thread as vague as possible ("back to the theme of this forum") and then proceed to include two separate posts about Trump. 

Once again  , both posts talk about our industry and it's possible future.......and therefore do belong here..   The theme of this forum is aviation.......

[Guest]

Chorus Aviation announces third quarter earnings and aircraft leasing transaction with Air Nostrum

HALIFAX, Nov. 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Chorus Aviation Inc. ('Chorus') (TSX: CHR) today announced strong third quarter 2016 results, and a pending transaction with Air Nostrum, Lineas Aereas Del Mediterraneo, S.A. ('Air Nostrum'), a franchise partner of Iberia^®, for the lease of four new Bombardier CRJ1000 regional jets.  

Q3 2016 Overview

• Adjusted EBITDA¹, excluding other items of $70.0 million.
• Adjusted net income¹, excluding other items of $28.7 million.
• Adjusted net income¹, excluding other items per basic share of $0.24.
• Net income of $20.1 million.
• Net income per basic share of $0.16.
• Advanced the business revenue diversification strategy through increased aircraft leasing.
• Improved Jazz's cost competitiveness and continued fleet modernization.
• Established Voyageur Avparts.

"I am pleased to report the seventh consecutive quarter of strong financial and operational performance under the revised Capacity Purchase Agreement ('CPA') with Air Canada," said Joe Randell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chorus.  "Progress was made in advancing our revenue diversification strategy as evidenced by a 51.0% increase quarter-over-quarter in our aircraft leasing revenue under the CPA. Year-to-date aircraft leasing revenue has grown to $72.0 million, or by approximately 47.0%. Our focus in the third quarter centered on advancing the business diversification strategy, improving Jazz's cost competitiveness, fleet modernization, and establishing Voyageur's Avparts business, as we continue to create additional, long-term value for our shareholders."

Expansion of the aircraft leasing business with Air Nostrum transaction

Chorus is seeking opportunities to increase its regional aircraft leasing activity outside of the CPA as management recognizes regional aircraft leasing as a growing market segment with few established providers. Chorus (through a subsidiary) plans to purchase and lease four new CRJ1000 regional jets to Air Nostrum, and has secured a letter of offer from Export Development Canada ('EDC') for debt financing of up to 80% of the net purchase price of each CRJ1000.  The four aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in November and December 2016, and in July and October 2017.  Founded in 1994, and headquartered in Valencia, Spain, Air Nostrum is a leading European regional airline carrying over 4 million passengers annually. With a fleet of 42 modern CRJ and ATR aircraft, Air Nostrum operates over 75,000 flights annually to 54 domestic and international destinations. Since 1997 Air Nostrum has been a franchise partner of Iberia^®, Spain's leading national and international carrier, and is an affiliate of the oneworld^® airline alliance.

"This initial leasing arrangement, with a high-quality regional carrier, is a meaningful step and good progress in our strategy to diversify our aircraft leasing revenue over and above our CPA with Air Canada," commented Mr. Randell.

Chorus expects definitive documentation for the EDC loan facility and leases with Air Nostrum for the 2016 aircraft deliveries to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2016.  These transactions remain subject to the successful negotiation and execution of definitive agreements and related documentation.

Financial Results - Third Quarter 2016 Compared to Third Quarter 2015

In the third quarter of 2016, Chorus reported revenue and adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items of $331.1 million, and $70.0 million, respectively, compared to $412.2 million and $68.8 million, respectively in the same period of 2015.  This represents a 19.7% decline in revenue and a 1.6% increase in adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items. The decline in revenue is primarily driven by: (i) fuel and certain other costs no long being included as pass through revenue, and (ii) certain lower operating costs have reduced controllable revenue.

Excluding the revenue reductions related to these two items, operating revenue increased by $4.6 million or 1.2%, due mainly due to an increase in aircraft leasing under the CPA of $8.7 million, partially offset by lower charter, contract flying and other revenue of $4.1 million.

Adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items was $70.0 million, an increase of $1.1 million, or 1.6%, compared to the same period of 2015, at $68.8 million.  The increase was primarily driven by the $4.6 million increase in revenue, partially offset by:

• the absence of the $2.8 million curtailment gain under the pilot pension plan recorded in 2015, related to the flow of Jazz pilots to Air Canada;
• increased operating costs related to a $2.6 million reduction in capitalized labour and maintenance costs on owned aircraft for major maintenance overhauls;
• increased stock-based compensation of $2.2 million, resulting from fluctuations in Chorus' stock price;
• increased expenses related to business development and financing activities outside of the CPA of $1.5 million; and
• a decrease in other expenses of $5.6 million, including those related to the Voyageur operation.

Adjusted net income, excluding other items of $28.7 million, declined quarter over quarter by $6.5 million, or 18.3%.  The $1.1 million increase in adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items was primarily offset by $5.3 million in additional depreciation expense mainly related to new aircraft, and $1.9 million of additional net interest expense on long-term debt.

Net income was $20.1 million, an increase of $13.7 million over 2015. The increase was due primarily to a $16.6 million decline in unrealized foreign exchange losses on long term debt and a $3.5 million decline in collective agreement signing bonuses, partially offset by the previously noted $6.5 million decline in adjusted net income, excluding other items.

For reporting purposes, at each quarter end, Chorus converts its US dollar denominated aircraft debt into equivalent Canadian dollars based on the prevailing exchange rate.  Chorus manages its exposure to currency risk on such long-term debt by billing related lease payments under the CPA with Air Canada in the underlying currency (US dollars) related to the aircraft debt. As a result of this conversion, in the third quarter of 2016, Chorus had an unrealized foreign exchange loss of $8.5 million versus an unrealized foreign exchange loss of $25.1 million in the same period of 2015.

2016 year to date financial results

For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, Chorus reported revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items, of $961.8 million and $178.7 million, respectively, compared to $1,187.3 million and $162.6 million, respectively, in the same period in 2015.  This represents a 19.0% decline in revenue (due primarily to reductions in fuel and controllable cost revenues) and a 9.9% increase in adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items. 

Excluding the revenue reductions related to these two items, operating revenue increased by $33.3 million or 2.8% due primarily to increases in aircraft leasing under the CPA of $23.1 million, and increased charter, contract flying and other revenue of $9.7 million, mainly related to an additional four months of revenue for Voyageur. Chorus acquired Voyageur on May 1, 2015, and therefore, the 2016 results include an additional four months of activity for the Voyageur operation.

Adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items was $178.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and increased $16.1 million or 9.9%, compared to the same period of 2015 at $162.6 million. The increase was primarily driven by the $33.3 million increase in revenue partially offset by:

• increased operating costs related to a $4.7 million reduction in capitalized labour and maintenance costs on owned aircraft for major maintenance overhauls;
• the absence of the $2.8 million curtailment gain under the pilot pension plan recorded in 2015 related to the flow of Jazz pilots to Air Canada;
• increased expenses related to business development and financing activities outside the CPA of $4.7 million;
• costs of $1.7 million associated with fleet transition; and
• an increase in other expenses of $3.3 million, including those related to the Voyageur operation.

Adjusted net income. excluding other items of $70.8 million declined year over year by $10.8 million, or 13.2%. The $16.1 million increase in Adjusted EBITDA, excluding other items was offset by $17.6 million in additional depreciation expense primarily related to new aircraft and Voyageur, $5.4 million of additional net interest expense on long-term debt, higher net income tax of $0.7 million; and higher net foreign exchange loss (excluding unrealized foreign exchange loss) of $3.2 million.

Net income was $99.1 million, an increase of $86.1 million over 2015. The increase was due primarily to a $88.7 million decline in unrealized foreign exchange losses on long term debt and a $8.0 million decline in collective agreement signing bonuses, partially offset by the previously noted $10.8 million decline in adjusted net income, excluding other items.

Outlook 

Chorus' subsidiaries continue to deliver results within management's expectations, supporting positive operating income and cash flows from operations.

This reporting period marks the seventh consecutive quarter of strong operational and financial performance under the CPA with Air Canada, and demonstrates the continued long-term value of this strong, stable revenue source.

The progress made in advancing the revenue diversification strategy through growth in aircraft leasing is expected to continue. In 2017, five new CRJ900 regional jets will be added to the fleet of Q400 aircraft leased into the CPA operation. Further, we expect to acquire and lease four new CRJ1000 regional jets to Air Nostrum by the end of October 2017. 

Chorus remains committed to creating additional shareholder value by strengthening the foundational business with Jazz, growing aircraft leasing revenues, pursuing growth opportunities in the Voyageur operation, such as Voyageur Avparts, and progressing towards further business diversification.

[Guest]

Exclusive Offers of Beijing Capital Airlines' Vancouver 

BEIJING, Nov. 8, 2016 /CNW/ -- The new Vancouver=Qingdao=Hangzhou (Canada-China) direct route will be officially launched on December 30th, 2016. Beijing Capital Airlines now offers exclusive business pass for travellers who frequently travel between Canada and China. Additionally, travellers can enjoy special prices when they travel to other domestic cities from Qingdao/Hangzhou after arriving in China.

The Business Pass

Route	Cabin	2RT Fare	3RT Fare	4RT and more Fare
Vancouver=Qingdao=Hangzhou	Business	$2799 CAD/RT	$2599 CAD/RT	$2199 CAD/RT
*FUEL & TAXES NOT INCLUDED

From now to March 27^th, 2017, Beijing Capital Airlines offers the most competitive fare for a full business class service, which is ideal for family trip and business group.

JD Business Year Pass also applies to the following Chinese destinations at the same price or even less: From Qingdao to Haikou/Wuhan/Taiyuan/Shenzhen/Harbin/Shenyang/Xi'an/Wuhan/Zhengzhou/Ningbo/Guangzhou, you can pay CAD60 or less. From Hangzhou to Lijiang/Kunming/Xishuangbanna/Beijing/Sanya/Nanning/Haikou/Guiyang/Guilin/Xi'an/Enshi/Guangzhou/Yichang/Zhengzhou, it will be the same price.

Flight N	Schedule	Terminal	Take-off	Landing	Terminal	Take-off	Landing	Terminal
JD472	Wed/Fri/Sun	Vancouver	16:30	19:40+1	Qingdao	21:40+1	23:25+1	Hangzhou
JD471	Wed/Fri/Sun	Hangzhou	14:15	16:05	Qingdao	18:05	13:15	Vancouver
*All time in Local Time

These three weekly regular flights of the new route Vancouver=Qingdao=Hangzhou will take you to China, embracing the beautiful bays and peaceful life in Qingdao, the elegance and gracefulness of Hangzhou. From today to November 30th, when you buy economy class tickets within December 30th to January 7th, 2017, the minimum price of one round-trip from Vancouver to Hangzhou and Qingdao is CAD99 (tax excluded). From January 8th to April 30th, 2017, travellers can enjoy the minimum price of one round-trip economy class ticket from Vancouver to Qingdao at CAD150 (tax excluded) and to Hangzhou at CAD200 (tax excluded) .The minimum price of one round-trip business class ticket from Vancouver to Qingdao and Hangzhou is CAD1,950 (tax excluded).

For more information, please dial our hotline: +86-898-95071999

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1	APPLICABLE FLIGHT	Travel must originate & terminate in YVR. China domestic sectors permitted on flights operated by JD/HU/GS only. Other interline sectors are strictly prohibited.
2	BOOKING AND RESERVATION	1. The first round-trip itinerary MUST be confirmed at time of ticketing. 2. 2nd-4th round-trip itineraries may be "OPEN" sectors at time of ticketing. 3. ALL SECTORS must be confirmed at least 1 week prior to travel. 4. All RT can be ticketed for the same traveler OR Each RT can be ticketed to different traveler (Subscription)
3	TICKETING	Manual ticketing only. IT/BULK/NET-REMIT ticketing permitted. Visa and MasterCard only.
4	MAXIMUM STAY/VALIDITY	1 Year (all coupons) NOTE: Travel from last international stopover must commence no later than 1 year after departure of fare origin on first sector. Ticket extension not permitted.
5	DISCOUNT	No Child/Infant discount.
6	COMBINATIONS	Permitted with fares listed; Not combinable with any other fares/contracts.
7	PENALTIES – CHANGES/CANCEL	NO SHOW: Penalty of C$200 applies for change/cancellation of transpacific sectors without minimum 24 hrs notice. CHANGES: Within validity, collect C$150 for each change (exchange and re-issue by agent); Pay applicable fare/tax difference.
		RE-ROUTING: Not permitted.
		PRE-DEPARTURE CANCELLATION C$300 penalty applies. POST-DEPARTURE CANCELLATION 100% NON-REFUNDABLE with commencement of travel（Passenger should be noted before ticketing）
		MULTIPLE PENALITIES: Multiple penalties apply, e.g. charge change fee and class upgrade fare difference at the same time if applicable.
8	UPGRADE	Collect C$600 each transpacific sector/per direction.
9	BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE	2pc of 32kg each

SOURCE Beijing Capital Airlines Co., Ltd.

[CanadaEH]

26 minutes ago, Malcolm said:

Once again  , both posts talk about our industry and it's possible future.......and therefore do belong here..   The theme of this forum is aviation.......

By your logic we can dump anything aviation in here. AC's announcement is worthy of its own topic. The other articles worthy of their own. 

[CanadaEH]

And another post about Beijing Capital Airlines. Unrelated to Air Canada. Unrelated to Trump.

 

 

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, CanadaEH said:

And another post about Beijing Capital Airlines. Unrelated to Air Canada. Unrelated to Trump.

 

 

and all related to aviation.   Now that I have us jump started so to speak, future posts will be of course not be lumped into this one, unless of course they are about WestJet and LGW. 

[CanadaEH]

You'll do what you do. As annoying as it is. 

[Fido]

41 minutes ago, CanadaEH said:

You'll do what you do. As annoying as it is. 

I do not find it annoying

[Guest]

1 hour ago, CanadaEH said:

You'll do what you do. As annoying as it is. 

Yes I will continue to post as I like, not as you like. So, my posts will not annoy you if you don't read them and to ensure that you don't, why not select the ignore option for my posts???????  

And to help you out, here is how it is done.  Click onto your name at the top of the page and you will see "Ignored Users" 

Ignored Users

Ignoring a user allows you to block some or all of their content from showing. Users are not notified that you are ignoring them.

Add new user to ignore list

Enter a member's name to set ignore options

Please feel free to use this feature and thereby save both of us some typing (keyboarding if you are too young to know about typing)

[Don Hudson]

Actually, if we recall, the mods offered the option of having an aviation forum limited to aviation topics only, so the topics that are desirable but not directly related to aviation could have their own forum. We elected to keep things as they are. 

The ignore feature is a tough one because annoying posts are always ready to teach us something about ourselves, not about others.

I've used the ignore feature occasionally, but just for a few days while I re-trench/re-group. What it taught me is that too close a focus on some things can be unhelpful to the dialogue, or that someone's way of writing didn't work for me, (which is another self-question, isn't it?).

[Guest]

Another look at "what might be" ...

Air Transport Faces Many Open Questions After Trump Victory

Nov 11, 2016Jens Flottau | Aviation Week & Space Technology

Adam Pilarski famously predicted that fuel prices would fall substantially long before they actually did. The prescient forecast added to his already substantial reputation as one of the industry’s brightest thinkers. And only a few weeks ago Pilarski, the Avitas senior vice president, talked to a group of industry executives at the ISTAT Europe conference in Barcelona, Spain, about what a Donald Trump presidency and the assumed return to increased protectionism may mean for the commercial air transport industry. His prediction was clear: “No bueno.”

Whether a Trump presidency will mean more protectionism is the key question that airlines and aircraft manufacturers worldwide are asking themselves ahead of the Jan. 20 transition to the new administration. There are those, such as Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, who are relatively relaxed: “I don’t think Trump means what he says,” Al Baker said earlier this year, referring to the candidate’s statement that all Muslims should be banned from entering the U.S. And many months ago Emirates Airline President Tim Clark seemed to agree by saying that ultimately Trump was “a man of business.”

If the business man and pragmatist in the president-elect wins, then things may not turn out to be as bad as they sound for air transport. But if the nationalist open to racist and xenophobic tendencies, populist and protectionist prevails even after the election campaign, aviation might well see a dramatic return to an era of slower or zero growth and much less opportunity for expansion. The effects would be felt by airlines and manufacturers alike.

There are multiple policy areas in which a Trump administration can influence the fate of commercial aviation. Most important, it will be crucial for the industry to see what position he takes on free trade—the trends in which have a direct impact on air travel growth. Increased protectionism worldwide has already led to international trade stagnating, and airlines are feeling the effect. Just ask Emirates, which reported a 75% decline in net profit for the April-September period. Consider TPP (the Trans-Pacfic Partnership) and TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), which could have had a positive effect on air travel demand but are now unlikely to materialize.

More closely related to aviation, the continuation of the U.S. open skies policy will be watched, his view on the opening up to normal relations with Cuba, the nuclear deal with Iran, the administration’s position regarding Gulf carriers and the alleged subsidies, the proposed introduction of a tight visa regime for Mexicans wanting to travel to the U.S., low-cost transatlantic air travel fostered by Norwegian Air International and  the relationship with China. There are many more issues, but these seem to be the most important ones.

In an Oct. 29 opinion piece for The Salt Lake Tribune, former Delta Air Lines Chairman Richard Anderson endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. His main argument was that her domestic economic policies were more suitable and “her commitment to innovation make it an easy choice.” Anderson did not mention trade policy, but he probably should have. China is one example: Delta has substantial interests there, not least because of its minority stake in China Eastern and its desire to enter into deeper cooperation with a Chinese joint venture partner. But these kinds of deals are only possible, so far at least, in an open skies environment which does not exist yet between China and the U.S. 

The manner in which open skies is continued is also a question for transatlantic routes: The UK is leaving the European Union and needs a new bilateral air service agreement with the U.S. at some point during Trump’s four-year term. What will it look like? Again, Delta has a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic and is operating a joint venture with its partner. The company has a vested interest for the arrangement to remain in place.

U.S. airlines are in the process of starting many new routes into Cuba following President Barack Obama’s historic decision in favor of a more normal relationship with the country. Will the opening be reversed? Boeing and Airbus are hoping for major aircraft deals with Iran to finally receive all the necessary approvals, but will the future U.S. government stand behind the Iran compromise that is the basis for normalized economic ties? And finally, a significant portion of U.S. international air travel is to and from one country: Mexico. Introducing strict visa requirements can have a devastating effect on demand because it makes flying a much more complex and tedious process for business and leisure travelers alike.

As many others have noted, Donald Trump will be the first U.S. president with no previous formal political experience, but he will also be the first president with previous airline experience. He owned the Trump Shuttle in the early 1990s, a high-end domestic short-haul carrier operating Boeing 727s and geared toward business travelers; it folded after a few years amid growing losses. Aviation and international trade have changed dramatically since then, airlines and manufacturers have to hope he knows. If not, Pilarski may not have been right in his latest forecast that the protectionist wave is only temporary. And that would clearly be no bueno. 

[Guest]

Looks like the DOT has pre-empted any hopes from US carriers that Norwegian might not get approval.

DOT finalises approval for Norwegian Air International

• 03 December, 2016
• BY: Ghim-Lay Yeo
• Washington DC

US regulators have finalized their approval for a foreign air carrier permit to Norwegian Air International, ending one of the most controversial disputes that have dominated the US airline industry in recent years.

The US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) move today comes exactly three years after NAI first applied for a foreign air carrier permit in 2013, and follows the agency’s tentative approval issued in April.

The decision will allow NAI, an Irish subsidiary of Norwegian, to launch low-cost transatlantic service to the US. Norwegian itself already operates long-haul US flights, but says NAI will be able to utilise EU traffic rights.

“Regardless of our appreciation of the public policy arguments raised by opponents, we have been advised that the law and our bilateral obligations leave us no avenue to reject this application,” says the DOT in its final order.

The airline welcomes the regulator’s decision, calling it “long overdue news”.

“While the delays Norwegian have faced have been unfortunate and unnecessary, ultimately the decision now made by the US DOT finally paves the way for greater competition, more flights and more jobs on both sides of the Atlantic,” says Norwegian’s spokesman.

The DOT’s tentative approval in April was opposed by the airline’s critics. US airline unions argue that NAI will undermine labour standards, and called on the DOT to overturn its tentative decision.

The DOT, however, says: “We find that the clear weight of legal analysis in this case directs us to uphold the tentative findings and conclusions previously made.”

The final approval comes days after the European Commission formally requested for arbitration over the matter, alleging that the delay in finalising NAI’s foreign air carrier permit is a breach of the US-EU air transport agreement.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) says it is "extremely disappointed" with the DOT's decision. “ALPA will take appropriate action to overturn this decision and block the NAI business model from spreading," says ALPA president Tim Canoll.

US labour group Transportation Trades Department AFL-CIO (TTD) called on President Barack Obama to reverse the agency’s decision.

“With this decision, the Obama Administration has failed to enforce the very labour protection it negotiated and sold as a breakthrough in aviation trade policy,” says TTD president Edward Wytkind.

The labour groups accuse Norwegian of basing NAI in Ireland to evade Norway’s labour and tax laws.

While US mainline carriers had previously urged their government to reject NAI’s application, they have remained silent on the tentative approval issued in April.

Norwegian continues to await a foreign air carrier permit from the DOT for its UK subsidiary. The DOT in June rejected Norwegian UK’s bid for temporary exemption authority but has yet to decide on the carrier’s permit application.

Norwegian’s spokesman says: “We now also look forward to our foreign carrier permit for Norwegian Air UK (NUK) to be approved next.”

The DOT’s final approval comes in the final days of the Obama administration, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on 20 January. It is not yet clear what stance, if any, Trump will take on the NAI dispute.

[CanadaEH]

Sad that airline topics are now lumped into one post. 

[DEFCON]

Isn't this Forum intended to serve a platform for 'respectful' discussion & debate?

Is it not fair to say the Board theme is aviation based, but discussion is not restricted to only that topic?

Is a user not free to determine the thread(s) he may wish to review and or participate in?

 

Did JO not choose to participate, sometimes aggressively in most off theme discussions?

It would seem then that JO became frustrated because he was unable to develop and advance sound arguments in support of some of his pet political feelings & beliefs, the anti Trump stuff for instance, and so, he quit and left the sandbox.

I think it's sad to see the Left flailing about in the aftermath of the election. It would seem liberals everywhere remain unable, or is it unwilling, to accept the new reality; they don't want to acknowledge that the quest to install their ideology across society, the UK & American versions anyway, has failed to achieve the objective.

It would appear that western society is going to be free to engage in open discussion once again and maybe even encouraged to do so, which will be a darn good thing for everyone regardless of their political tilt.

 

 

[deicer]

Sad to see that the 'right' has taken the opportunity to bulldoze over rational discussion

I’m sorry, Jeannie, your answer was correct, but Kevin shouted his incorrect answer over yours, so he gets the points.”

 

[DEFCON]

The results speak for themselves Deicer; you and I have been soap-boxing for many months now from completely opposite sides of the spectrum and the debate subject, although contentious, never descended into the gutter. Heck, conservatives & centrists all participated freely with the liberals for over 20 pages in a thread started by Mitch, which began by referring to Trump supporters as 'stupid', and it all went down without a single Right winger going off the deep end and or quitting.

 

 

 

 

 

[Don Hudson]

I like GDRs signature the best.