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(01-15-2016, 10:59 AM)jgsz Wrote: [ -> ]
(01-15-2016, 10:43 AM)ookpik Wrote: [ -> ]N.B. charter, not scheduled, flights. The search for a carrier to provide scheduled service to Ottawa and Montreal continues.

That's true but I tested a couple of dates from YKF and a flight was available.  So what's the difference then?

 By the way, I would love to see the airport lengthen the runway to accommodate larger airplanes offering seasonal flights to Europe (London, Frankfurt, Istanbul?) and maybe Asia.

They operate under different aviation rules, but there doesn't seem to be much difference in practice. As far as I can tell, charters are also allowed to cancel at their discretion, while scheduled services aren't (they need a reason).

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsum...er-flights
Thanks for the clarification, guys. I was going by this comment by Chris Wood in The Record's article- 

Quote:"That's not really a scheduled service that we're still kind of obviously searching and looking for … to provide scheduled service for residents of the community to both Ottawa and Montreal and wherever else airlines want to operate to," Wood said.

If charter is almost the same as scheduled, i.e. Wood's glass is almost full, then why does he still want to attract the latter?
$470 for round trip? That's not going to garner anything but the most financially-covered travelers, but they would tend to need regular, scheduled service, I would think.
(01-15-2016, 12:50 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: [ -> ]$470 for round trip? That's not going to garner anything but the most financially-covered travelers, but they would tend to need regular, scheduled service, I would think.

Probably hard to run this flight consistently for less than around that. Bearskin was maybe $50 less from memory. I'd have to go back and look at my credit card statements from the couple of Bearskin flights I took.

I think there's the fact that it's scheduled service and also the cachet involved with scheduled service. Charter service is general aviation. Also you can't interline luggage between charter and scheduled service.
Gatineau is also a single, unlit runway with no precision instrument approaches.

Translation: flights must land or take off between sunrise and sunset, and poor weather will require a diversion at best, a cancellation at worst.
From the CBC: Air Canada announces Hamilton to Montreal direct flights

Quote:Airline plans twice-daily flights between 'Ontario's Golden Horseshoe' and Montreal...

Air Canada announced Wednesday it'll launch new flights direct between Hamilton and Montreal beginning in May. 
The flights are scheduled to leave each airport twice daily except Saturday, which will have one flight each way. 
The airline says it timed the flights so passengers could connect with flights to Atlantic Canada and Europe.
This is really good news for Munro, and exactly what I would like to see here in Waterloo: daily or even twice-daily service to Montreal to offer all of the choices of connections that would bring. After Ottawa, I think Montreal is the most useful and most realistic destination to add here.
 
I would myself happily pay a bit extra and endure a connection in Montreal for the ability to fly to Europe from Waterloo Region- it’s often a premium to fly direct from Pearson to many final destinations there anyway. Not to mention that it would open up options for travelers to many Atlantic Canadian cities, too.
Is this likely to put pressure on our new Hamilton-based carrier? Undercut their most profitable route?
NewLeaf's not flying to Montreal (at least not initially)- Hamilton and Halifax are the only airports east of Manitoba.
Air Canada responds to NewLeaf: Air Canada to launch Hamilton to Montreal service 
Quote:The airline’s regional carrier Jazz will provide the non-stop service on 50-seat CRJ planes. It will serve travelers to Montreal and beyond, with schedules timed to meet connections to and from Atlantic Canada and to Europe.

In some cases, Air Canada offers direct service only out of Montreal to cities like Brussels, Belgium, and Casablanca, Morocco, and not from Toronto.

Meanwhile NewLeaf has more pressing problems:
Quote:It ran into trouble over questions whether it needed its own licence. It argued it didn’t need one, as its flying was contracted to Flair Airlines, which has a licence.

NewLeaf Travel has since suspended operations and refunded all customers as it awaits the Canadian Transportation Agency completed ongoing review on this type of service, where companies purchase all seats on the planes and then resell those seats to the public.

A spokesman for the CTA did not have any timeline on when the review, which began last fall, would be completed.
(02-03-2016, 10:25 PM)ookpik Wrote: [ -> ]Air Canada responds to NewLeaf

But NewLeaf isn't flying to Montreal...did the Star say this was a response to NewLeaf? If they wanted to respond to NewLeaf, they should launch Hamilton-Vancouver or Hamilton-Winnipeg.

(02-03-2016, 10:25 PM)ookpik Wrote: [ -> ]In some cases, Air Canada offers direct service only out of Montreal to cities like Brussels, Belgium, and Casablanca, Morocco, and not from Toronto.

Great for all of Africa. Many cities in French-speaking parts of Africa are served from Montreal and not Toronto.
(02-04-2016, 09:06 AM)MidTowner Wrote: [ -> ]But NewLeaf isn't flying to Montreal...did the Star say this was a response to NewLeaf?
No it was my incorrect inference. Still if AC is going back to Hamilton then it puts them in a better position to offer routes to compete with NewLeaf, if as and when NL gets off the ground.

(02-03-2016, 10:25 PM)ookpik Wrote: [ -> ]Great for all of Africa. Many cities in French-speaking parts of Africa are served from Montreal and not Toronto.
Also great in situations where a passenger prefers to fly on a non-AC plane. One example is YYZ-ZRH which is operated by AC but YUL-ZRH is operated by Swiss.

Another possible advantage is to avoid the possibility of traffic delays on Hwy401 between Hwy6 and YYZ. That would add another leg to the flight but may actually be more reliable in the end.
(02-03-2016, 10:25 PM)ookpik Wrote: [ -> ]Also great in situations where a passenger prefers to fly on a non-AC plane. One example is YYZ-ZRH which is operated by AC but YUL-ZRH is operated by Swiss.

Another possible advantage is to avoid the possibility of traffic delays on Hwy401 between Hwy6 and YYZ. That would add another leg to the flight but may actually be more reliable in the end.

It's not hard to imagine someone preferring not to fly Air Canada, but odd if that person would take an Air Canada budget flight to connect to that non-Air Canada transatlantic. It's a possible advantage, though.

The easier drive is a big advantage for people in the Region and west. For people in St. Catharines and Niagara or Brant, it would probably be an even bigger advantage. It would be much more pleasant to drive from there to Hamilton to pick up a flight to Montreal to connect to wherever, than have to leave very early in case of traffic on the QEW to catch a flight from Pearson, even if it were direct.
(02-04-2016, 12:05 PM)MidTowner Wrote: [ -> ]It's not hard to imagine someone preferring not to fly Air Canada, but odd if that person would take an Air Canada budget flight to connect to that non-Air Canada transatlantic. It's a possible advantage, though.
One hour of AC "service" is far less stressful than a full 8 hours of it, especially when compared to that provided by Swiss. And it's not just me. I had a neighbour who was a Swiss national. He always flew YYZ-YUL, even when it meant on AC, in order to fly home on Swiss. But no, I don't think that would be a big draw generally.
Drive to YYZ (from Kitchener) is actually shorter than the one to YHM, by some 5-10 minutes (except in peak periods). Some people may prefer the drive along Hwy 6; for me, both are equally easy, and neither 6 or 401 is particularly enjoyable, just need to avoid the 401 rush hour.

But having a choice is good, each one of us can decide which airport and airline works the best for our own particular situations.
I really don't like driving on Hwy 6 South either, but if I'm headed to Hamilton we've been using 8 South, then 52, to the 403 for the last few years; a much more pleasant drive.