Air Canada

[Host Mike]

If you have to choose between the two - the flights being the exact same schedule and within $2 of each other - which one would you go with?

 

This is only a 2 hour flight.

[Tinkerbellcgy]

If you have to choose between the two - the flights being the exact same schedule and within $2 of each other - which one would you go with?

 

This is only a 2 hour flight.

No question in my mind - WestJet. It's a far superior airline, with stellar customer service and the first checked bag is free. WestJet is one of Canada's airline success stories.

[Twickenham]

I have been on both, and agree Westjet is excellent, while I was slightly underwhelmed with AC last time I flew them.

That being said, I would choose AC for 2 main reasons:

-Greater number of options if flight delayed/cancelled;

-Frequent-flyer miles.

 

Note that the first bag is also free on Air Canada.

[world~citizen]

I have been on both, and agree Westjet is excellent, while I was slightly underwhelmed with AC last time I flew them.

That being said, I would choose AC for 2 main reasons:

-Greater number of options if flight delayed/cancelled;

-Frequent-flyer miles.

 

Have to agree with your post. You can never underestimate options available to you with AC when things go wrong. Airmiles make a world of difference as well.

 

Also, Westjet I think still doesn't have interline agreements to check bags through with other airlines, but that isn't a consideration here. Since AC was privatized, it isn't much in my view, but that is the kind of comment that invites a flaming.:eek:

[world~citizen]

No question in my mind - WestJet. It's a far superior airline, with stellar customer service and the first checked bag is free. WestJet is one of Canada's airline success stories.

 

...and there have been very few so we'll see;)

[Kamloops50]

If you have to choose between the two - the flights being the exact same schedule and within $2 of each other - which one would you go with?

 

This is only a 2 hour flight.

 

We would always chose West Jet over Air Canada.

 

DW says about Air Canada

 

" We (the passenger) are there is service you (Air Canada)"

 

Flying West Jet is the total opposite to flying Air Canada.

 

They go out of there way to service you . Keep in mind

 

employee's of West Jet are also have a individual stake

 

in the company. Air Canada is a quasi government run

 

airline .

[Tinkerbellcgy]

...and there have been very few so we'll see;)

Ward Air was a wonderful Canadian charter airline back in the day. Max Ward was very astute in seeing what was coming within the airline industry and shut down Ward Air while the going was still good. Canadian Airlines offered a superior experience as well.

 

I dunno, West Jet has done very well for themselves considering they were "the little airline that could" not all that long ago. They have made it on their own without the numerous government bailouts that Air Crash has received over the years. BTW, as far as I am aware, West Jet does have interline agreements - American Airlines comes to mind and it wasn't too long ago where it was discussed in the Calgary newspaper that further interline agreements were to be put in place in the very near future.

[world~citizen]

Ward Air was a wonderful Canadian charter airline back in the day. Max Ward was very astute in seeing what was coming within the airline industry and shut down Ward Air while the going was still good. Canadian Airlines offered a superior experience as well.

 

I dunno, West Jet has done very well for themselves considering they were "the little airline that could" not all that long ago. They have made it on their own without the numerous government bailouts that Air Crash has received over the years. BTW, as far as I am aware, West Jet does have interline agreements - American Airlines comes to mind and it wasn't too long ago where it was discussed in the Calgary newspaper that further interline agreements were to be put in place in the very near future.

 

True. As they evolve and acquire more interline agreements and act more like a non-economy airline, we will see how it fares.

 

I hope well.

[Mom2B&Z]

If you have to choose between the two - the flights being the exact same schedule and within $2 of each other - which one would you go with?

 

This is only a 2 hour flight.

For me, it would depend on which airport I am flying to/from, time of day, flexibility, time of year and other options available on that day with the airline.

This being said, I booked two sets of flights within a few months of each other and both were with West Jet. They had slightly better times for our schedule, and I prefer dealing with their booking agents and in-flight staff. Heck on our last WJ flight the cabin crew helped us get all of our stuff (including sleeping children) to the customs area :) Price-wise they were almost identical. However, if I were on a tight time line with little flexibility, I'd bite the bullet and fly AC, purely for the increased options they provide when things go wrong.

This from someone who loves her aeroplan points ;) I wish West Jet had a better frequent flyer program for those of us who don't spend $1500 each every year.

[FlyerTalker]

Having the city pair involved would help. One of the big advantages of AC is their greater number of options in case of irops. However, depending on the route you are talking, it might be a negligible point.

[cruiseryyc]

Air Canada does indeed charge for first bag if you are flying between Canada and US; I was charged for my bag just last week on flights to/from Maui.

 

Westjet wins everytime in my book; the only reason I flew AC last week was because someone else made the reservations!!!

[toberman]

deleted

[scottbee]

If you have to choose between the two - the flights being the exact same schedule and within $2 of each other - which one would you go with?

 

This is only a 2 hour flight.

 

Westjet; given that 1st bag flies free on WS and not on AC. Not to mention that WS is staffed by ultra-friendly people, and AC, well ....

[Putterdude]

For a two hour flight I would likely choose WestJet only because of their baggage policy. However as they like their business model, SWA, only fly 737's I find flights much longer than 2 hours just a bit uncomfortable. Air Canada tends to fly more comfortable equipment, particularly on longer flights.

[DanJ]

Air Canada is a quasi government run

 

airline .

 

They are not, this isn't the 1960's.

[Putterdude]

They are not, this isn't the 1960's.

 

Well you are correct to a point, they were privatized in 1988 after deregulation of the airlines industry in Canada about 1980. I even owned some stock at one time....the only time I sold at the top of the market.:D

[juniorsmom]

WestJet hands down.

[DougYWG]

I have travelled on various airlines all over the world. There are airlines that are better than Air Canada and some that are much worse. Canadians don't know when they are well off. They hate Air Canada. Brits hate British Airways, the French hate Air France, my cousin in Dallas hates American and so on. On one cruise we met a charming New Zealand couple. How did you fly here? we enquired. "Air New Zealand. Well, you have to don't you, it's ours." I have never heard that sentiment in Canada. Amazing how some myths perpetuate, even though they have no foundation in fact. Facts:

 

1 Air Canada is privatized. There is no government ownership whatsoever.

2 The governmment has never 'bailed out' Air Canada. Never.

3 Max Ward went bankrupt. Canadian picked up the pieces.

 

I expect the 'owners' thing with WestJet will have a limited life. When Air Canada was privatized, the employees all became owners. Fat lot of good it did them. They lost the lot, unless they were smart enough to sell up early. WestJet might want to think twice before boasting about this.

 

I have flown on WestJet and was not particularly impressed. I am Aeroplan Elite, so for me I'll stick with Air Canada. They get me there safely and on time and have the resources to sort things out when something goes wrong.

[Kamloops50]

Try flying on Air Canada from airports that has only Air Canada serving them. Flying from Kamloops to Vancouver is only Air Canada . The fare is over $500:mad: round trip . With Westjet flying from Calgary in competition the air fare is now about $200 round trip instead of $500 on Air Canada before Westjet service.

[scottbee]

I have travelled on various airlines all over the world. There are airlines that are better than Air Canada and some that are much worse. Canadians don't know when they are well off. They hate Air Canada. Brits hate British Airways, the French hate Air France, my cousin in Dallas hates American and so on. On one cruise we met a charming New Zealand couple. How did you fly here? we enquired. "Air New Zealand. Well, you have to don't you, it's ours." I have never heard that sentiment in Canada. Amazing how some myths perpetuate, even though they have no foundation in fact. Facts:

 

1 Air Canada is privatized. There is no government ownership whatsoever.

2 The governmment has never 'bailed out' Air Canada. Never.

3 Max Ward went bankrupt. Canadian picked up the pieces.

 

I expect the 'owners' thing with WestJet will have a limited life. When Air Canada was privatized, the employees all became owners. Fat lot of good it did them. They lost the lot, unless they were smart enough to sell up early. WestJet might want to think twice before boasting about this.

 

I have flown on WestJet and was not particularly impressed. I am Aeroplan Elite, so for me I'll stick with Air Canada. They get me there safely and on time and have the resources to sort things out when something goes wrong.

 

Air Canada charge you a "fuel surcharge", which in the case of trips to Europe represents between 80% and 120% of their total per-seat fuel costs. Sorry, not getting my business with shady business practices like that

[FlyerTalker]

AC is not the only airline with "fuel surcharges". Booked a DL flight to Europe where the fuel surcharges (called "international surcharge" was about 175% of the base fare itself. If you only have 120% on AC, that's actually quite good.

[LiftLockCouple]

I have travelled on various airlines all over the world. There are airlines that are better than Air Canada and some that are much worse. Canadians don't know when they are well off. They hate Air Canada. Brits hate British Airways, the French hate Air France, my cousin in Dallas hates American and so on. On one cruise we met a charming New Zealand couple. How did you fly here? we enquired. "Air New Zealand. Well, you have to don't you, it's ours." I have never heard that sentiment in Canada. Amazing how some myths perpetuate, even though they have no foundation in fact. Facts:

 

1 Air Canada is privatized. There is no government ownership whatsoever.

2 The governmment has never 'bailed out' Air Canada. Never.

3 Max Ward went bankrupt. Canadian picked up the pieces.

 

I expect the 'owners' thing with WestJet will have a limited life. When Air Canada was privatized, the employees all became owners. Fat lot of good it did them. They lost the lot, unless they were smart enough to sell up early. WestJet might want to think twice before boasting about this.

 

I have flown on WestJet and was not particularly impressed. I am Aeroplan Elite, so for me I'll stick with Air Canada. They get me there safely and on time and have the resources to sort things out when something goes wrong.

 

 

Very well said !!

We have flown with AC lots within Canada from coast to coast and to limited USA destinations such as Atlanta. Our experience with WJ is on a more limited frequency. However we did fly WJ at the beginning of this month to Miami and then to San Juan on AA then back from San Juan on WJ. All went well, no issues but I for one, am not enamored with their seat back entertainment. It is a satellite feed which works great on domestic and US destinations but on this flight there was nothing until well one half the flight had passed. Having to buy the movies is bad enough but you also have to buy them within 20 mins of departure... really??? The joking and " happy" flight attendants wear thin quickly and at times seem unprofessional in their announcements, NOT their performance. They are certainly professional in what they do and how they do it. I would fly WJ again tomorrow but the points made by this poster are well made and true.

Air Canada like all businesses, have their warts and problems but they are IMHO one of the best airlines in the world, not just North America. I didn't say they are the best.. but they are up there with the best.

I certainly wish WestJet and Porter well. Their competition and great service is needed to keep AC honest and hard working. The more routes there is competition on the better. I really hope WJ can get the regional airline up and running soon. Maybe then my flights to Saint John and Sault Ste. Marie will get cheaper.

 

Cheers

[DanJ]

AC is not the only airline with "fuel surcharges". Booked a DL flight to Europe where the fuel surcharges (called "international surcharge" was about 175% of the base fare itself. If you only have 120% on AC, that's actually quite good.

 

Scott isn't talking about 120% of the base fare. He's talking about the actual cost of the fuel, based on the fuel cost per seat mile in the quarterly reports x the actual miles. One of his examples he used to post on Flyertalk was Halifax to London and back. The fuel, based on the reported 4.2 cents per mile cost (which of course is averaged over the entire operation, which is where the calculation fell apart) would cost $240 per seat, while the fuel surcharge was $248 (this was a 2010 post of his that came up in a search).

 

So, his contention is that Air Canada's fuel surcharge is actually covering the cost of the fuel, not just the incremental price increase of fuel from the budgeted amount to the current price. I don't look at base fare and surcharges when I shop, I just look at bottom line, so if one has a large fuel surcharge and the other guy doesn't, I don't care.

[scottbee]

Scott isn't talking about 120% of the base fare. He's talking about the actual cost of the fuel, based on the fuel cost per seat mile in the quarterly reports x the actual miles. One of his examples he used to post on Flyertalk was Halifax to London and back. The fuel, based on the reported 4.2 cents per mile cost (which of course is averaged over the entire operation, which is where the calculation fell apart) would cost $240 per seat, while the fuel surcharge was $248 (this was a 2010 post of his that came up in a search).

 

So, his contention is that Air Canada's fuel surcharge is actually covering the cost of the fuel, not just the incremental price increase of fuel from the budgeted amount to the current price. I don't look at base fare and surcharges when I shop, I just look at bottom line, so if one has a large fuel surcharge and the other guy doesn't, I don't care.

 

Also, not included in some of those discussions you'll find on FT is that AC charge a 'double' fuel surcharge on business class seats.

 

Feel free to visit NAVCANADA.CA and compare the total NavCanada charges for an aircraft vs what AirCanada charge as a 'Nav Canada surcharge' too.

[kenish]

All went well, no issues but I for one, am not enamored with their seat back entertainment. It is a satellite feed which works great on domestic and US destinations but on this flight there was nothing until well one half the flight had passed. Having to buy the movies is bad enough but you also have to buy them within 20 mins of departure... really???

 

WestJet uses Bell TV's satellite. Satellites have a coverage "footprint" aimed at the viewing audience. In the case of Bell, it's southern Canada. The farther from the center of the footprint the weaker the signal. For technical reasons a footprint in higher latitudes requires a sharper cut-off at the edges of the footprint. So, in southern parts of the USA there's no coverage and that's why there was no programming.

 

Even when there is coverage, network licensing and programming also restricts coverage. For example LiveTV is used by many US airlines. (LiveTV uses the DirecTV satellite). Although the footprint extends well beyond the borders of the continental US, many networks and their advertisers prohibit broadcast outside the US. The LiveTV system has a GPS and channels are shut off when the plane flies out of the licensed coverage area (e.g. Mexico, enroute Hawaii, and the Carribbean)