[AntonK]

Good to see. US travel is down so they scale back some US routes and add Canadian routes when Canadian travel is up. We even added a couple of flights to MSP.

 

[MakeYEGGreatAgain]

WS is really horrible. cutting so much at YEG. Even Montreal was cut and Ottawa is much more limited vs last year. Abbotsford also seeing cuts. YYC is getting upgrades to the same destinations. I sometimes wonder why WS bothers giving us random flights (like the once a week to Iceland).

 

[BASE]

I’ve also found the Westjet hatred bizarre, as I’ve said before. It’s the one airline that is really attempting different routes and regularly launching new options. I guess when they put themselves out there it also means there are more frequent schedule adjustments/cuts.

If YEG were to lose 1 single airline without others filling in the void, I would argue Westjet would be the only one that would really cripple the airport.

This isn’t a commentary on their fleet, inflight service, or anything beyond their route network out or YEG.

 

[EdmTrekker]

Montreal has more WS flights than YYC & YEG together - that’s surprising.

“Reykjavik new 1 weekly”. A nice crumb.

 

[Whatup]

This x1000. Great post! Even though you’re going to get ripped to shreds by people who refuse to believe it’s true.

Thanks - I don't get many thumbs up for my posts. I am a proud conservative and UCP supporter who thinks Daniel Smith is smart, pragmatic, business focused and professional - plus very hard working and she represents the views of most Albertans and is why she will continue to lead this province. I also think most people here are blinded by TDS and have allowed an obnoxious loud mouthed US President to get in their heads and this has been an ongoing disaster for Canada. The Liberals need to be voted out - they have been running things for 11 years now and so many problems. The country needs a new government and more Liberal rule will do more damage - the Liberal divide and conquer playbook is in hyper drive now and referendums in Alberta and Quebec in the near future have brought this country to the edge - Trump must be thrilled and can't believe how easy it was.

 

[AntonK]

WS is really horrible. cutting so much at YEG. Even Montreal was cut and Ottawa is much more limited vs last year. Abbotsford also seeing cuts. YYC is getting upgrades to the same destinations. I sometimes wonder why WS bothers giving us random flights (like the once a week to Iceland).

I don’t have any knowledge of why WS does what it does, only that they’re a business, and their decisions are business based.
I don’t love that YYC is their hub, but AC, UA, AA, KLM, DEL are free to step up for YEG, but instead they give more service to YYC - and this is even despite WS already being the dominate player there.
My guess is it’s only business, and two hubs 3 hours apart doesn’t make sense for any airline.

 

[blue12]

I don’t have any knowledge of why WS does what it does, only that they’re a business, and their decisions are business based.
I don’t love that YYC is their hub, but AC, UA, AA, KLM, DEL are free to step up for YEG, but instead they give more service to YYC - and this is even despite WS already being the dominate player there.
My guess is it’s only business, and two hubs 3 hours apart doesn’t make sense for any airline.

It's exactly that. Inevitably when two cities of relatively similar size are right next door, both are not going to have equal levels of service. One will come out on top. Unfortunate for us, Calgary outperformed us in the "qualifications" and it's probably stuck for life that YYC will be bigger than YEG. And as unfortunate as it is, if I owned an airline, I'd do the exact same thing.
With WS partnering with KL and DL, they will naturally send more passengers through YYC as that's the hub for WS. But for AC, UA, AA, and others.... they're just doing what's natural and feeding the larger airport that also has more point-to-point tourism demand and relying on partnerships for connections to nearby destinations, which happens to be YEG (and YEX, YQR, YLW, etc).

I think the most realistic prospects for YEG in the future is just really pushing for more of the sun destinations (or connections to key American hubs, when political tensions die down) as well as somewhere in Europe. Obviously it's unrealistic to want the whole roster of destinations like YYC or YVR, but London or Frankfurt are perfectly reasonable and deserved for a city like Edmonton.

 

[AntonK]

I think the most realistic prospects for YEG in the future is just really pushing for more of the sun destinations (or connections to key American hubs, when political tensions die down) as well as somewhere in Europe. Obviously it's unrealistic to want the whole roster of destinations like YYC or YVR, but London or Frankfurt are perfectly reasonable and deserved for a city like Edmonton.

It’s bizarre and frustrating that a city our size doesn’t even have a direct to London. We’ll have to wait and hope, cuz aside from WS, no other airline seems interested.

 

[The_Cat]

Even if it’s something like London 3X weekly
During the spring and summer.

 

[Vanfan123]

I don’t have any knowledge of why WS does what it does, only that they’re a business, and their decisions are business based.
I don’t love that YYC is their hub, but AC, UA, AA, KLM, DEL are free to step up for YEG, but instead they give more service to YYC - and this is even despite WS already being the dominate player there.
My guess is it’s only business, and two hubs 3 hours apart doesn’t make sense for any airline.

Agree %

Yes. Up to Airlines which routes they add & in the 4 cities where Canadian , US & International airlines make the most profits, demand & plus connecting traffic is Toronto YYZ, Vancouver YVR, Montreal YUL & Calgary YYC year round .

Add Ottawa YOW in there too , as with (PD) Porter Airlines continuing to build YOW into a “Fortress Hub” out East with more Domestic, US / International flights- similar of what (WS) WestJet doing at YYC in Western Canada still.
YOW is doing well the last several years because of Porter!

 

[Vanfan123]

I don’t have any knowledge of why WS does what it does, only that they’re a business, and their decisions are business based.
I don’t love that YYC is their hub, but AC, UA, AA, KLM, DEL are free to step up for YEG, but instead they give more service to YYC - and this is even despite WS already being the dominate player there.
My guess is it’s only business, and two hubs 3 hours apart doesn’t make sense for any airline.

Other factors why Calgary YYC has more flights & frequencies compared to Edmonton YEG year round is - Banff / Lake Louise/ Canmore (where most visitors want to go and enjoy when they visit Alberta) is located closer drive or bus ride from YYC than it is YEG.

Plus YYC is located closer to the Alberta/US border compared to YEG = more nonstop direct flights between & the year round.

Also planes like : Airbus A330 , A350, Boeing 777 & 787’s are all designed to fly longer distances nonstop Internationally - “basically erases YEG’s advantage it has over YYC to both Asia/Europe or Vancouver YVR to Europe” .

Yes % YEG is located closer to Asia and Europe on the World Map - but it guarantees nothing!

 

[Vanfan123]

WS is really horrible. cutting so much at YEG. Even Montreal was cut and Ottawa is much more limited vs last year. Abbotsford also seeing cuts. YYC is getting upgrades to the same destinations. I sometimes wonder why WS bothers giving us random flights (like the once a week to Iceland).

Because the limited number of (WS) WestJet Boeing 737 / Q400 planes that WS bases out of Edmonton YEG 7 days a week -they require some flying hours to a few US /Mexico or a few weekly Domestic destinations from YEG (instead of it sitting on the ground a long time) which doesn’t make sense - after the WS plane comes inbound from either Vancouver YVR, Toronto YYZ or Calgary YYC mostly.

 

[Vanfan123]

Interesting how Vancouver has more passengers and Calgary almost has as much passengers as Montreal, yet Montreal has a significant number of more routes.

Yes, true.
Although Montreal YUL is “Fortress Hubs” for both (AC) Air Canada / (AT) Air Transat in Canada & while Calgary YYC has a (WS) WestJet Fortress only.

Plus with the *new* AC fleet Airbus A321XLR plane coming online sometime spring of 2026 - YUL will gain few new seasonal European destinations.

Air Canada's Airbus A321XLR Era Begins Soon: 9 Routes Revealed

The first commercial flight is currently set for May 1, with domestic and transatlantic services planned.

simpleflying.com

 

[Payd1964]

Yes, true.
Although Montreal YUL is “Fortress Hubs” for both (AC) Air Canada / (AT) Air Transat in Canada & while Calgary YYC has a (WS) WestJet Fortress only.

Plus with the *new* AC fleet Airbus A321XLR plane coming online sometime spring of 2026 - YUL will gain few new seasonal European destinations.

Air Canada's Airbus A321XLR Era Begins Soon: 9 Routes Revealed

The first commercial flight is currently set for May 1, with domestic and transatlantic services planned.

simpleflying.com

Yes Captain Obvious We all know about how hubs work and how YEG isn't a hub. We aren't expecting to ever have the same level of service of any of the hubs. We just want consistent daily flights to a few more key US hubs like ORD and god forbid another flight to Europe (oh yes something more than the token 12 flights Westjet is running this year to KEF). Given that this is a YEG forum, perhaps offer some wisdom about what you would suggest that YEG do to attract more flights. I anxiously await your words of wisdom on this matter.

 

[TAS]

Yes Captain Obvious We all know about how hubs work and how YEG isn't a hub. We aren't expecting to ever have the same level of service of any of the hubs. We just want consistent daily flights to a few more key US hubs like ORD and god forbid another flight to Europe (oh yes something more than the token 12 flights Westjet is running this year to KEF). Given that this is a YEG forum, perhaps offer some wisdom about what you would suggest that YEG do to attract more flights. I anxiously await your words of wisdom on this matter.

I'm not supportive of provincial money to WS at the exclusion of YEG in the agreement.

As part of a 2022 partnership with the Government of Alberta, WestJet designated YYC as its exclusive global connecting hub, concentrating all 787 Dreamliner intercontinental flights there.

This agreement, backed by provincial support for the aviation sector, dictates that all 7 Boeing 787-9s (and any that get added) are based in Calgary to boost long-haul routes to Europe and Asia.

Key Details of the Partnership

Exclusivity: YYC is the only airport for WestJet's intercontinental 787 operations.Investment: The deal, aimed at economic growth, included significant investment from the Alberta government in the aviation sector.

The agreement involves over $7 billion in aircraft capacity and a pledge to double capacity in Calgary by the end of the decade (provincial money but no targets mentioned for YEG).

Fleet Concentration: All 787 Dreamliners are to be based in Calgary, allowing for expanded international service, such as flights to Tokyo, Paris, and London.

How is Edmonton supposed to get a 787 flight to Europe via WS with an agreement like that.