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Superstar
VIA employees have just given strike notice for midnight on Monday morning, 11th July. My trip to Montreal on 16th may not happen!
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Fair enough, though that still quite faster than the train. For people in the 905 area without dt traffic that's loads faster still.That might be during non rush hour times. 1 hour to get to Pearson, 20min to Park the car and walk to the terminal. You should at be there two hours before your flight with the line ups of today.
1 hour flight. 20 min to de-plane and 30 minute cab ride to downtown. That's more realistic.
Thats about 4 hours.
Which is what they want to achieve by building their own corridor....right?
Honestly most people won't see past the combined security and additional travel time of air but rather more on the base travel time. The fact is that toronto and Montreal is 1hr. 4.5hrs is still a huge difference. Last time I went to Montreal pre pandemic it took me 20 min to get to yyz, 1hr before flight and 30min to get from yul to city centre. So that's still under 3hrs total. Throw in 15% buffer and it's still under 4hours.
Id say they need to aim for under 4hrs or even 3.5h avg if they ever want to make deep inroads into the air pie
New research by climate campaign group Possible, which was published by the BBC, has found that a small number of frequent flyers dominated air travel before the pandemic with the vast majority only traveling domestically. In the United States for example, just 12 perent of people take 66 percent of all flights. That trend is also evident in other developed countries such as the United Kingdom where 15 percent of people take 70 percent of flights. Calls are growing from environmental groups for the implementation of a Frequent Flyer Levy which is a tax that increases the more a person flies each year.
That might be during non rush hour times. 1 hour to get to Pearson, 20min to Park the car and walk to the terminal. You should at be there two hours before your flight with the line ups of today.
1 hour flight. 20 min to de-plane and 30 minute cab ride to downtown. That's more realistic.
Thats about 4 hours.
Business travelers are also routinely allowed to book VIA One. And in part that is because of the included meal, which the company would normally have to pay for. It's not in VIA's DNA to lead on much, but I sincerely wish they did better on catering in VIA One. They could really use it as a product differentiator against the airlines.
VIA's Business Class meals are pretty good, actually. I'm not sure that they have to be much better....maybe a bit more substantial.
They need to work on making the meals special the way airlines do. Airlines usually get famous chefs to draw up the menu, emphasizing regional and seasonal ingredients, and design service both at lounges and on-board. VIA meals come across more like, "We signed up for the cheapest package that Cara Foods offered us."
From what has been published ie floor plans it doesn’t look like the new Siemens equipment has been designed with an eye to improving Business Class meal delivery, but we will see. I do agree that the meal experience is a significant attraction factor, and the better it can be made, the more tickets VIA will sell.
In Canada I still prefer to take the train if possible unless flying from Billy Bishop, even when travelling for business.Correct.
Somebody who flies once a year is likely to compare just the ticketed time and not access and pre-boarding times. However, the majority of air travelers are frequent travelers (usually driven by business travel):
These folks are highly sophisticated travelers who understand how long it takes to travel to the airport, how long it takes to get through security, what the best airport bars are and the food rotation at the Maple Leaf Lounge. I am willing to bet money that a good portion of them start becoming available at 4.5 hrs and that VIA can win an actual majority of them at 4 hrs. Especially when you consider that many of them are on the company's dime and companies are far more likely to consider everything from total cost to emissions these days. High reliability is a prerequisite though. None of the routine delays we see today, are acceptable, to business travelers.
Something that would make Sleeper Class more attractive would be lounge access during the time the train is dwelling at the station at places such as Winnipeg and Edmonton. That may entice people to spend more money on Sleeper Class instead of economy. Edmonton doesn't have a lounge or anything, but the staff bought pizza for the passengers waiting for 12 hours for their late train.To be clear, I'm not suggesting that VIA redesign their galleys or something like that. I don't see this as a facility problem. Flight and rail caterers can still deliver amazing food. You just gotta tell them what it should be. VIA just needs to put in a little more effort into this and maybe spend a few more dollars per plate.
Something that would make Sleeper Class more attractive would be lounge access during the time the train is dwelling at the station at places such as Winnipeg and Edmonton. That may entice people to spend more money on Sleeper Class instead of economy. Edmonton doesn't have a lounge or anything, but the staff bought pizza for the passengers waiting for 12To be clear, I'm not suggesting that VIA redesign their galleys or something like that. I don't see this as a facility problem. Flight and rail caterers can still deliver amazing food. You just gotta tell them what it should be. VIA just needs to put in a little more effort into this and maybe spend a few more dollars per plate.
I strongly disagree with that.I think they are basically close to International Economy class meals. They should work on making them more like Business class meals given on 4 hr flights. It's a small detail. But I do think regular business pax notice. I wish VIA actually saw catering as a way to improve brand image, rather than obligation.
I agree with Dan. Some of the best meals I’ve had “in transit” anywhere has been on VIA1. But the quality can be variable. On one trip pre-pandemic they were testing receipts/menus suggested by staff. I had a wonderful curry chicken, which you would not expect. Two weeks ago, on a trip from Quebec City, my wife had a chilled Salmon Salad with a huge piece of poached salmon. My wife declared it was perfectly prepared. A feat that is hard to imagine on a catered train. One last comment, while I have the floor…. If you like a Caesar Cocktail, do order one in VIA1. It’s huge and the staff tend to have a generous pour. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear, they are trying to put you to sleep on purpose!I strongly disagree with that.
With the very odd exception, my meals in VIA1 have been better and more filling than any meal that I've had on either Cathay Pacific or British Airways premium economy, which are commonly held as some of the best airline meals in their class in the business.
Dan
If you like a Caesar Cocktail, do order one in VIA1.
With the very odd exception, my meals in VIA1 have been better and more filling than any meal that I've had on either Cathay Pacific or British Airways premium economy, which are commonly held as some of the best airline meals in their class in the business.
I agree with Dan. Some of the best meals I’ve had “in transit” anywhere has been on VIA1. But the quality can be variable.
I thought it was strictly beer and wine? Did that change?I agree with Dan. Some of the best meals I’ve had “in transit” anywhere has been on VIA1. But the quality can be variable. On one trip pre-pandemic they were testing receipts/menus suggested by staff. I had a wonderful curry chicken, which you would not expect. Two weeks ago, on a trip from Quebec City, my wife had a chilled Salmon Salad with a huge piece of poached salmon. My wife declared it was perfectly prepared. A feat that is hard to imagine on a catered train. One last comment, while I have the floor…. If you like a Caesar Cocktail, do order one in VIA1. It’s huge and the staff tend to have a generous pour. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear, they are trying to put you to sleep on purpose!