WestJet flights to London prompting a wave of complaints

[PositiveRate27]

Aka WS wants to upgage to the 787 and pay the pilots the same

[complexintentions]

This is an unsubstantiated rumour. There's no way anyone outside of higher management at either company knows the terms of a deal like this.

No, it's a statement of fact known by many well below "higher management". You can believe it or not, doesn't matter to me.

Well, whether Boeing supposedly kicked in some compensation or not the new operation took a big chunk out of the bottom line. Really, I don't care how you spin it or who you want to blame, it's just the way it is. The B767 rollout was executed terribly. Hopefully it will become better, it seems to be slowly doing so.

WestJet said it now expects full-year cost per available seat mile, excluding fuel and employee profit share, to rise 2.5 to 3.5 per cent. This is above the previous forecast of 0.5 to 2.5 per cent due to “guest experience costs” and maintenance expenses associated with the London routes, said chief financial officer Harry Taylor.

http://business.financialpost.com/news/ ... costs-rise

I'm sure realitychex will be along shortly to explain how a 40% drop in profit is a good thing or "business as usual" or whatever.

I have no interest in seeing WestJet fail. But sometimes it's best to acknowledge your own fallibility and move on instead of trying to pass the buck.

[altiplano]

Cherniavsky is a WS corporate puppet and that question was likely a plant to give GS a chance to pass a message indirectly to the pilots without having to bring it up himself.

[Realitychex]

Cherniavsky is a WS corporate puppet and that question was likely a plant to give GS a chance to pass a message indirectly to the pilots without having to bring it up himself.

Cherniavsky is as critical about WS's foibles as anyone else. Perhaps the better question is why Ben is apparently not permitted on AC conference calls?

No one, including WJ itself, is patting themselves on the back for a flawless 767 roll-out. However, BC recognizes that WS's unit cost advantage continues to give WJ a huge advantage in the marketplace.

Lest anyone forget, it was Cherniavsky who alerted the markets that the UK and now Europe was in a yield meltdown 3 months ago. The problem escalated about 3 weeks ago when a number of yield bastion markets that have NEVER been available on a one-way discounted basis suddenly were being fire saled during the busiest travel season of the year.

For example, when one-way n/s fares on YVR-LHR tomorrow, July 31st, during the busiest travel period of the year, are c$525 compared to $1,628 from at least January 2016 through the end of June, there's probably a problem. British Airways are still holding to premium one-way fares, ($1,683). The cheapest one-way fare from SEA to LHR tomorrow is c$2,533. That's what happens when airlines don't flood the market with capacity.

YYC-YUL-BCN on AC next Weds is $2,100. Why pay that when you can fly YYC-LHR on AC for $497 and then fly Iberia or Veuling from LHR to BCN for under $200. Tough choice. $2,100 or $697? What would you do? Both are one-stop flights.

There are virtually countless examples of this sort of thing, to and from all markets in North America and Europe. It has gotten progressively worse this month compared to last, (ie, in the 3rd quarter), as more markets have been opened to discounting, one of the latest being FRA. There are more.

It doesn't take people very long to figure this sort of stuff out. As it occurs, the uptake becomes almost exponential as people talk to people, word spreads about the crazy deals and the discounting starts to spread like a run in the wife's nylons during the period of highest demand when fares should be at an absolute premium.

Add them all up and their impact on rasm and it paints a very troubling picture on the TATL this summer and into the future. It's not as if it can be made up by filling more seats. The TATL ran at 88% last summer. Lest anyone forget, the TATL has been an enormous source of profitability for legacy airlines in the peak summer years for as long as TATL air travel has ever existed.

WJ's 2Q numbers weren't great, but consider that WJ's 2Q has traditionally been their worst quarter for a decade or more as they transition from their winter "north-south" schedule to their summer "east-west" schedule and they incurred some pretty significant strategic growth pains in the quarter. I doubt we'll ever know the true costs of what they incurred over the first 8 weeks of the LGW program. It was undoubtedly a very large chunk of change.

2Q has always been Air Canada's 2nd best quarter and their growth has been of the easy variety. For example, adding Lyon to the network, just 25 miles further than the existing YUL-GVA operation, or Warsaw, 370 miles further than YYZ-FRA, using existing or brand new equipment with long established infrastructure isn't a big stretch.

Adding a new fleet type, (B767-300's) and operating it into utterly new markets, (LGW), the closest of which is 3,500 miles from home is a very different kettle of fish, but a challenge WJ needs to overcome if the airline is to move into different geographic realms. No one said it was going to be easy in the short term.

As was the case with Norwegian's TATL roll out, their were some significant burps but they ultimately settle down. OTP has been pretty good now for a little over 3 weeks. WJ is having no issues filling its TATL capacity. Flights are regularly sold-out and often can't be booked on-line.

I'd say this is all unfolding pretty much as predicted.

Now it's up to the pilots to come to terms on a long term deal for WJ WB growth, without which I'd estimate the odds of further expansion, or even replacement of the existing WB fleet are somewhere between slim and none.

[Shady McSly]

Don't worry, ALPA will figure all that out.

[Squid]

Wouldn't hold my breath there. they aren't exactly helping with much these days at the shops. Transat comes to mind. Post of the year btw.

[rudder]

Wouldn't hold my breath there. they aren't exactly helping with much these days at the shops. Transat comes to mind. Post of the year btw.

Are you kidding?

ALPA membership gets you IFALPA membership. And if you ever find yourself in an accident or locked up in a foreign country I am certain that you will appreciate the resources that are made available.

But don't let that stop you from clinging to the notion that your employer will take care of you.

[Squid]

you talk like they are the only ones that will help...many associations and companies can and will step up. Ironically IFALPA will likely assist (or offer to assist) as do other associations and companies/crew in crisis or that have accidents no matter the rep model. they aint the end all be all...that’s the point for shady.

[rudder]

you talk like they are the only ones that will help...many associations and companies can and will step up. Ironically IFALPA will likely assist (or offer to assist) as do other associations and companies/crew in crisis or that have accidents no matter the rep model. they aint the end all be all...that’s the point for shady.

Professional courtesy? Possibly. You just keep ticking 'NO' on your ballot. I am sure that everything will be OK......

[George Taylor]

Wouldn't hold my breath there. they aren't exactly helping with much these days at the shops. Transat comes to mind. Post of the year btw.

Are you kidding?

ALPA membership gets you IFALPA membership. And if you ever find yourself in an accident or locked up in a foreign country I am certain that you will appreciate the resources that are made available.

But don't let that stop you from clinging to the notion that your employer will take care of you.

How's ALPA working for the Transat pilots in Scotland ?

[PostmasterGeneral]

Wouldn't hold my breath there. they aren't exactly helping with much these days at the shops. Transat comes to mind. Post of the year btw.

Are you kidding?

ALPA membership gets you IFALPA membership. And if you ever find yourself in an accident or locked up in a foreign country I am certain that you will appreciate the resources that are made available.

But don't let that stop you from clinging to the notion that your employer will take care of you.

How's ALPA working for the Transat pilots in Scotland ?

Potentially breaking the law, and being involved in an accident or incident are two very different things. I do know that ALPA membership provides you access to a VERY experienced legal team, free of charge. Whether or not they can prevent your peepee from hitting the meat grinder is entirely dependent on how badly you effed up.

[av8ts]

"Good god James I'm a lawyer not a magician"

[TheStig]

I wouldn't expect to hear anything negative about their employer on a public forum from any Westjet employee's.

http://thetyee.ca/News/2016/03/22/WestJ ... stigation/

Three days after Lewis was fired, Kufuor-Boakye was terminated. WestJet's investigators obtained a U.S. court order to determine that five online videos mocking the airline had been posted from an IP address at his house. The videos were defamatory and grounds for dismissal, the company said.

Disneyland from the outside...

[lazyeight]

North Korea from the inside?

[brooks]

F*** ALPA. Useless American Union. The Transat guys out of jail yet? I guess ALPA couldn't really help them there.

[chaster]

F*** ALPA. Useless American Union. The Transat guys out of jail yet? I guess ALPA couldn't really help them there.

Nice! Hope ya never slip one off and have to see how GS will cover your Arse.... And ya they are ... TKS for your concern!

[Maxpwr]

.

[chaster]

Who the hell told you ALPA could bail you out of jail for showing up to work drunk? Are you dim or something? Those two will get REPRESENTATION not a free pass. As far I'm concerned if they were in fact under the influence then they should lose their license and go find work at Wal-Mart. Why the hell anyone needs to drink so damn much that they're still messed up the next day is beyond me. Good riddance.

Who's Post are you referring Too BTW?

[Maxpwr]

Brooks.

Ya I should have quoted. Sorry.

[FICU]

ALPA has been the best thing to happen to our pilot group.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program...