Region of Waterloo International Airport - YKF

[SammyOES]

I've done the drive twice (for work -- plus once for a vacation). No fun in my opinion.

I leave Kitchener at 4 AM to catch a 6:30 flight from YYZ to EWR, and I get to the office just before 9:00.  Mr Google says that by driving I would arrive sometime between 12:00 and 1:30, assuming zero stops.  Yes, I need to rent a car, but I spend 45 minutes having breakfast and sleep 90 minutes on the plane -- and still arrive 3-4 hours earlier. And neither security or US immigration are a problem at that time of morning.

Flying to NYC in the morning of a workday is a lot different than flying out of NYC on the evening of a holiday weekend. Flying can definitely be faster - my record is just under 4 hours door-to-door from Kitchener. (Pretty proud of that. )

My record the other way is something like 15-16 hours.

[tomh009]

Flying to NYC in the morning of a workday is a lot different than flying out of NYC on the evening of a holiday weekend.  Flying can definitely be faster - my record is just under 4 hours door-to-door from Kitchener.  (Pretty proud of that. )

My record the other way is something like 15-16 hours.  

Oh yes -- vacations are a whole different animal.  Not that the drive would be fun for a vacation, either, but it's mind-numbing if you need to do it on your own.

[danbrotherston]

I've done the drive twice (for work -- plus once for a vacation). No fun in my opinion.

I leave Kitchener at 4 AM to catch a 6:30 flight from YYZ to EWR, and I get to the office just before 9:00.  Mr Google says that by driving I would arrive sometime between 12:00 and 1:30, assuming zero stops.  Yes, I need to rent a car, but I spend 45 minutes having breakfast and sleep 90 minutes on the plane -- and still arrive 3-4 hours earlier. And neither security or US immigration are a problem at that time of morning.

Flying to NYC in the morning of a workday is a lot different than flying out of NYC on the evening of a holiday weekend.  Flying can definitely be faster - my record is just under 4 hours door-to-door from Kitchener.  (Pretty proud of that. )

My record the other way is something like 15-16 hours.  

That's kind of my point though, I have found flying to be really unreliable.  Driving OTOH seemed to be fairly reliable, especially on weekends with friends.  Alone, I'd probably hop on a bus or train, at least I can work reliably the whole way down.

[tomh009]

That's kind of my point though, I have found flying to be really unreliable. 

Early-morning flights are the most punctual; if there are weather problems or air traffic control issues in NYC (which affects all three airports), they'll play havoc with the late flights.  My 6:30 AM from YYZ is almost always on schedule -- except when deicing is needed.

[kevinchoi519]

anyone else notice the jetlines future route map on their website no longer says hamilton/waterloo just has hamilton as a destination/hub....

[Coke6pk]

anyone else notice the jetlines future route map on their website no longer says hamilton/waterloo just has hamilton as a destination/hub....

Coke

[jgsz]

anyone else notice the jetlines future route map on their website no longer says hamilton/waterloo just has hamilton as a destination/hub....

Coke

I noticed that too and I was disappointed.  So I sent Jetlines an email and this is what they say about YKF:

Thank you for taking the time to email Jetlines.

 
YKF is indeed still on our radar and we are talking with the airport and are in negotiations. We have a signed contract for Hamilton and that will be our base of operation and once we can finalize our deal with YKF it will be announced. It is just a matter of “when”. We know there is a demand and need for jet service!

Since the airport is offering "up to 24 months protection on un-serviced routes to reduce risk..." Jetlines will not announce routes until they have the airplanes in service.  I'm sure they don't want to announce routes only to have another, established, airline take that route and get a two year guarantee. 

If the airport manages to land a number of airlines it will have to expand almost immediately.  I remember coming back from Punta Cana and Chicago and not everyone  could fit into the room to go through customs.  Also, walking outside to and from your jet in bitterly cold weather is not okay.  Things will have to change... 

[darts]

Thank you for taking the time to email Jetlines.

 
YKF is indeed still on our radar and we are talking with the airport and are in negotiations. We have a signed contract for Hamilton and that will be our base of operation and once we can finalize our deal with YKF it will be announced. It is just a matter of “when”. We know there is a demand and need for jet service!

That sounds like a public relations answer and not a real answer, by that I mean they still want to keep hype up and good feelings about the brand so you might use them down the road if they do expand or in Hamilton since you have heard of them.

[jgsz]

That sounds like a public relations answer and not a real answer, by that I mean they still want to keep hype up and good feelings about the brand so you might use them down the road if they do expand or in Hamilton since you have heard of them.

I didn't take it as a public relations answer at all.  Before YKF offered a 24 month guarantee, Jetlines showed flights from YKF.   But the 24 month guarantee changed everything, especially for fledgling airlines.   They simply won't show their cards until they are ready to fly.  Hamilton gives no such guarantees so they are free to advertise their flights from there.

[DHLawrence]

There's another connection at YTZ for FlyGTA customers: Pascan Aviation to St-Hubert Airport, south of Montreal. Looks like it's just barely closer to downtown than Dorval - plus you don't have all the traffic from highway interchange construction. They're just expanding into Ontario, so they might be an airline to court if Jetlines changes their mind.

[JoeKW]

At $355 each way for YTZ to YHU I don't think I'd ever take it, too bad because St Hubert Airport is just a few minutes from my parents house.

[DHLawrence]

Geez, I thought that was round trip. I paid that total for a Montreal-Hamilton round trip, albeit on a seat sale.

[Canard]

570 News is reporting this morning that Canada Jetlines will start service with 4 planes, instead of 6, and have decided to start with just Hamilton (instead of both Hamilton and Waterloo).

[Coke6pk]

Coke

I noticed that too and I was disappointed.  So I sent Jetlines an email and this is what they say about YKF:

Thank you for taking the time to email Jetlines.

 
YKF is indeed still on our radar and we are talking with the airport and are in negotiations. We have a signed contract for Hamilton and that will be our base of operation and once we can finalize our deal with YKF it will be announced. It is just a matter of “when”. We know there is a demand and need for jet service!

Since the airport is offering "up to 24 months protection on un-serviced routes to reduce risk..." Jetlines will not announce routes until they have the airplanes in service.  I'm sure they don't want to announce routes only to have another, established, airline take that route and get a two year guarantee. 

If the airport manages to land a number of airlines it will have to expand almost immediately.  I remember coming back from Punta Cana and Chicago and not everyone  could fit into the room to go through customs.  Also, walking outside to and from your jet in bitterly cold weather is not okay.  Things will have to change... 

The Customs hall has capacity for a full Punta Cana flight (and a full American Airlines flight, provided they don't enter the hall at the same time... when they did, one flight was instructed to stay on board until the other one cleared).

If you encountered trouble fitting into the hall, it is because passengers like to have a 3-5' ft buffer around them and their families, as opposed to getting closer to their fellow travellers.

Coke

[Pheidippides]

CBC article says 2020 is the new goal:
"Jennifer Paterson, director of communications for Canada Jetlines, told CBC News Monday the goal now is to fly out of the region starting in 2020."