I know the article below should have been posted in the foreign airlines section, but that's a graveyard.
Anyways, the Toronto Star had a story today stating that Westjet will begin service from the Great White North to the U.S.A. Only tourist destinations for now (Florida, PHX, California).
If Westjet (a LCC) can do transborder service, is there any possibility of SW serving Canada?
I know YYZ is congested, but there is enough money to be made at YYZ that even with the extra costs Westjet has decided to dismantle its Hamilton hub (~30 miles away) and move to YYZ. I'm sure SW could get a sweet deal worked out with the operators of Hamilton airport to begin service.
Comments anyone?
____________________________
The Toronto Star
Feb. 5, 2004
WestJet expands to U.S. cities
Also increases domestic flights
Air Canada swaps aircraft at Zip
CALGARY—WestJet Airlines will begin flying to U.S. destinations in October in a further expansion of the discount carrier's operations, which have been almost entirely within Canada.
The Calgary-based company said yesterday it will begin flying to Los Angeles, as well as the Florida destinations of Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. Seasonal service will include trips to Phoenix, Ariz., and Palm Springs, Calif.
WestJet's president and CEO, Clive Beddoe, said "beyond the enhancements we are making to our domestic schedule, the timing is now ideal for WestJet to begin transborder service."
"Canadians have been asking WestJet to provide our low fares and unique service into the United States for many years," he said in a statement. "We are now at a stage in our growth where transborder service is a prudent, logical next step."
The U.S. routes are clearly aimed at the tourist market, providing travellers access to cruise-ship markets in Florida, theme parks and the warm weather of California and golf and sun destinations of Arizona.
"They're flying to sun-spot destinations, so they're not competing with Air Canada, which flies to 50 some destinations in the U.S., but that's primarily business traffic," said analyst Rick Erickson of Airline Policy Analysts in Calgary.
Details of schedules for U.S. routes will be provided "in the coming weeks, pending airport negotiations," WestJet said.
WestJet will also add another 120 non-stop flights per week this summer throughout its domestic network, including seven flights per week from Ottawa to Vancouver and seven return flights between those two cities. The airline will also expand service between Saskatoon and Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa and Calgary and Halifax.
The domestic moves will intensify competition with rivals Air Canada and Jetsgo.
Yesterday, restructuring Air Canada announced it is replacing the fleet at its Calgary-based Zip discount carrier with new, more fuel-efficient jets and plans to expand Zip's operations to compete more aggressively in the low-cost market.
The airline said it will transfer 20 Airbus A319 aircraft to Zip to replace its existing fleet of 12 Boeing 737-200s over the course of 2004.
"This is a further step in restructuring Air Canada to become a more competitive airline by rationalizing the fleet to achieve increased cost efficiencies through the retirement of older, less efficient aircraft," president and chief executive Robert Milton said.
canadian press
Anyways, the Toronto Star had a story today stating that Westjet will begin service from the Great White North to the U.S.A. Only tourist destinations for now (Florida, PHX, California).
If Westjet (a LCC) can do transborder service, is there any possibility of SW serving Canada?
I know YYZ is congested, but there is enough money to be made at YYZ that even with the extra costs Westjet has decided to dismantle its Hamilton hub (~30 miles away) and move to YYZ. I'm sure SW could get a sweet deal worked out with the operators of Hamilton airport to begin service.
Comments anyone?
____________________________
The Toronto Star
Feb. 5, 2004
WestJet expands to U.S. cities
Also increases domestic flights
Air Canada swaps aircraft at Zip
CALGARY—WestJet Airlines will begin flying to U.S. destinations in October in a further expansion of the discount carrier's operations, which have been almost entirely within Canada.
The Calgary-based company said yesterday it will begin flying to Los Angeles, as well as the Florida destinations of Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. Seasonal service will include trips to Phoenix, Ariz., and Palm Springs, Calif.
WestJet's president and CEO, Clive Beddoe, said "beyond the enhancements we are making to our domestic schedule, the timing is now ideal for WestJet to begin transborder service."
"Canadians have been asking WestJet to provide our low fares and unique service into the United States for many years," he said in a statement. "We are now at a stage in our growth where transborder service is a prudent, logical next step."
The U.S. routes are clearly aimed at the tourist market, providing travellers access to cruise-ship markets in Florida, theme parks and the warm weather of California and golf and sun destinations of Arizona.
"They're flying to sun-spot destinations, so they're not competing with Air Canada, which flies to 50 some destinations in the U.S., but that's primarily business traffic," said analyst Rick Erickson of Airline Policy Analysts in Calgary.
Details of schedules for U.S. routes will be provided "in the coming weeks, pending airport negotiations," WestJet said.
WestJet will also add another 120 non-stop flights per week this summer throughout its domestic network, including seven flights per week from Ottawa to Vancouver and seven return flights between those two cities. The airline will also expand service between Saskatoon and Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa and Calgary and Halifax.
The domestic moves will intensify competition with rivals Air Canada and Jetsgo.
Yesterday, restructuring Air Canada announced it is replacing the fleet at its Calgary-based Zip discount carrier with new, more fuel-efficient jets and plans to expand Zip's operations to compete more aggressively in the low-cost market.
The airline said it will transfer 20 Airbus A319 aircraft to Zip to replace its existing fleet of 12 Boeing 737-200s over the course of 2004.
"This is a further step in restructuring Air Canada to become a more competitive airline by rationalizing the fleet to achieve increased cost efficiencies through the retirement of older, less efficient aircraft," president and chief executive Robert Milton said.
canadian press
