[Glenco]

Okay, but this is just how competition amongst airlines work. This strategy of "licking the cookie" as you call it is not even remotely specific to Westjet or Edmonton. I could come up with a million examples of this phenomenon happening from other parts of Canada from different airlines, or even other parts of the world. Really strange thing to blame WS for.

Of course you are correct the airline industry is very competitive and they have done nothing illegal. What bothers me is this strategy would not work in any other market. Not YVR or YHZ only YEG. That is both frustrating and infuriating that we are a captive market that doesn’t get the service that is justified.
On the other hand AC doesn’t think we are worth fighting over. They offer seasonal flights to LHR and could potentially go year round with the XLR from YOW. AC Express have direct flights from YWG and YHZ to YOW .but not Alberta’s provincial capital it took Porter Airlines to initiate that service. It is galling for the people of Edmonton to be treated as inconsequential a second rate market an after thought and I for one am tired of it.

 

[MacLac]

Ground radar black out on Sep between 12:45pm - 1:00pm - flight on WJ from Firebag to YEG couldn't take off due to this. Wife standing at the United counter at the same time mentioned to the desk folk and they new "nothing about it." How is this possible? According to the pilot - "had to wait for the secondary system to come online before we could depart. Never heard of this happening before....

 

[David A]

Of course you are correct the airline industry is very competitive and they have done nothing illegal. What bothers me is this strategy would not work in any other market. Not YVR or YHZ only YEG. That is both frustrating and infuriating that we are a captive market that doesn’t get the service that is justified.
On the other hand AC doesn’t think we are worth fighting over. They offer seasonal flights to LHR and could potentially go year round with the XLR from YOW. AC Express have direct flights from YWG and YHZ to YOW .but not Alberta’s provincial capital it took Porter Airlines to initiate that service. It is galling for the people of Edmonton to be treated as inconsequential a second rate market an after thought and I for one am tired of it.

I feel the competition is mainly at the fringes (ex. Flair and Porter). The two major airlines now have a cozy duopoly or even almost regional monopolies where much of the east is ceded to one and the west to the other.

There are only a few places these bigger airlines compete more. I am not sure this is actually legal, it is more like our competition laws are not strongly enforced and no one seems to care to enforce them more rigorously.

 

[Offworld]

Don’t forget also a 14 year old living in his/her Mom’s basement

Please explain?

 

[Oilguy]

I feel the competition is mainly at the fringes (ex. Flair and Porter). The two major airlines now have a cozy duopoly or even almost regional monopolies where much of the east is ceded to one and the west to the other.

There are only a few places these bigger airlines compete more. I am not sure this is actually legal, it is more like our competition laws are not strongly enforced and no one seems to care to enforce them more rigorously.

Unless Westjet and aircanada are colluding with each other in who serves what competition laws can’t force a company to serve a market they don’t think is as profitable as another one.

They have pretty much carved the country up with little overlap, but I can see why it makes business sense from their standpoint, even if it sucks for the traveller.

 

[David A]

Unless Westjet and aircanada are colluding with each other in who serves what competition laws can’t force a company to serve a market they don’t think is as profitable as another one.

They have pretty much carved the country up with little overlap, but I can see why it makes business sense from their standpoint, even if it sucks for the traveller.

I suspect it is not a coincidence how they have carved things up, but our competition laws are not well enforced and there seems to be little desire right now to do so.

However, that could change in the future. I don't think those fixing the price of bread expected to be punished.

 

[Glenco]

On a more positive note although I wasn’t at the airport on Sunday by all accounts the security screening was backed up into the aisle as all the concert goers were heading home. Thought you would like to know.

 

[blue12]

United has dropped ORD in return for going daily on IAH for 2026, as opposed to the 3x weekly ORD and 4x weekly IAH this past summer.
Not all that shocking given their YEG-ORD was a pretty last-minute response to Westjet's same route and the initial plan was to in fact do just daily IAH.
DEN is scheduled to remain at 2x daily.

 

[Oilers99]

United has dropped ORD in return for going daily on IAH for 2026, as opposed to the 3x weekly ORD and 4x weekly IAH this past summer.
Not all that shocking given their YEG-ORD was a pretty last-minute response to Westjet's same route and the initial plan was to in fact do just daily IAH.
DEN is scheduled to remain at 2x daily.

I wonder if WJ will keep its ORD flight.

 

[Vanfan123]

I wonder if WJ will keep its ORD flight.

Yes looks like WestJet Edmonton YEG - Chicago ORD it’s resuming End of June 2026 2x weekly - (summer seasonal).

 

[yeggator]

Yes looks like WestJet Edmonton YEG - Chicago ORD it’s resuming End of June 2026 2x weekly - (summer seasonal).

Bro, why is @Vanfan123 writing a post without tons of emojis and who are you that has taken over their body/account??

 

[Glenco]

With the drastic reduction in travel to the US and the uptick in travel by Canadians to Europe and Asia one would think this should be a perfect opportunity for someone to offer an intercontinental flight from YEG. But we will know what will happen.

We are important we matter and we deserve better.

 

[northlands]

 

[David A]

With the drastic reduction in travel to the US and the uptick in travel by Canadians to Europe and Asia one would think this should be a perfect opportunity for someone to offer an intercontinental flight from YEG. But we will know what will happen.

We are important we matter and we deserve better.

Yeah, we don't need a few more flights to Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary. While I don't have a lot of confidence in our cozy airline duopoly, I also don't want to be too defeatist here.

Our airport already has a lot more passenger traffic than cities such as Halifax, Winnipeg and Ottawa. I feel as the city continues to grow someone will finally get it.

 

[MacLac]

I see that WJ is back with flights to ATL on Oct 26th with 3-4 weekly flights throughout the winter and back to Daily on May 01, 2026.