BA From United States of America, joined exactly 13 years ago today! , 11135 posts, RR: 61 Posted (9 years 3 months 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 4365 times:
I have been contacted by someone who has some MEA insider info from an MEA pilot. He told me that Air Canada will fly to Beirut this summer and that MEA will be code-sharing on the flight.
MEA was considering flying to Montreal with their own equipment, but not if Air Canada starts it. Since Air Canada will be flying it, they will simply code-share with them.
Also, the MEA pilot says the flight will be on an A340 and not a 767 like it would have been last year.
This isn't official news, it's out of the mouth of a pilot. But I thought it would be worth sharing as he seemed pretty certain about it.
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
BA From United States of America, joined exactly 13 years ago today! , 11135 posts, RR: 61 Reply 2, posted (9 years 3 months 3 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 4345 times:
Yegbey01,
No idea. I emailed him with some more info.
Not sure about the frequency, but I think someone on these forums mentioned 4x weekly.
We'll have to wait and see.
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
BA From United States of America, joined exactly 13 years ago today! , 11135 posts, RR: 61 Reply 6, posted (9 years 3 months 3 weeks ago) and read 4252 times:
Pan Am 1 flew Washington D.C. - New York - London - Frankfurt - Istanbul - Beirut and I forgot where it continued afterwards, I think Tehran.
I am not 100% sure, but I think for a while it flew via Rome instead of Frankfurt.
Perhaps someone could confirm.
I've heard that for a while, MEA's BEY-ORY-JFK service flew non-stop (BEY-JFK).
I think Salim would know.
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
Mozart From Luxembourg, joined Aug 2003, 2007 posts, RR: 14 Reply 7, posted (9 years 3 months 3 weeks ago) and read 4228 times:
EXCELLENT!
Another step for BEY to be a bit more "hubbish". What I am also glad about is that this will also change some people's (false) perceptions on BEY and Lebanon. With another prestigious international carrier going there, it surely cannot be that dump some people think it is.
Hisham From Lebanon, joined Aug 1999, 701 posts, RR: 12 Reply 8, posted (9 years 3 months 3 weeks ago) and read 4193 times:
Yes, MEA did operate BEY-JFK nonstop with the 742. My grandfather has a silver ashtray that commemorates the first nonstop flight. If I remember well that was 1980/1.
Hope th AC rumor is true. But with the US government canceling BA and AF flights, I wonder if they'll allow flights from BEY into North America...
Behramjee From Canada, joined Aug 2003, 4439 posts, RR: 43 Reply 9, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4180 times:
MEAs A 332 has a much better inflight product than ACs A 340/B 767s and any smart pax would prefer it as Eco class has tvs in every seat plus their A 332s are newer and I think that MEA has an even better J Class product on its A 332s than ACs Exec First on its A 340s.
Anyways if this flight is year round then 4 times a week is ample-perfect with the 280 seater A 343 which is better than ACs B 763ERs.
I wouldnt be surprised if this flight starts in YYZ and carries on to YUL then BEY nonstop like ACs Far East Asian flights with A 340s and B 763s which start in YYZ stop in YVR and then fly transpacific.
Yegbey01 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1678 posts, RR: 3 Reply 10, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4171 times:
I suppose starting in YYZ is a possibility. But not a necessity.
But, the A340 will be able to accommodate pax from YEG and YYC as well.
MEA321 From Lebanon, joined Oct 2003, 389 posts, RR: 18 Reply 11, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4150 times:
If this AC flight to Beirut were to become a reality, look for Northwest to join the party. Currently there are 3 daily flights between DTW and YUL, all on small DC9's, so NW would need to upgrade its capacity along this route. Northwest will upgrade to a 757 or A320 most likely to better serve the connecting pax. Also look for AC to add a flight to DTW from YUL, currently they don't fly this route. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Yegbey01 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1678 posts, RR: 3 Reply 12, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4133 times:
MEA 321...
Easy here. There are only so many seats on the plane. There are Lebanese pax who would want connect from all over Canada and the US if this flight come to fruition.
The intent of the YUL-BEY flights is to serve the local community. Getting more connecting pax will water down the profitability of the flight. AC would rather fill the plane with mostly O&D.
Last year, the flights were priced so cheap. I suspect this will be the case this year as well. AC will have no problem filling the plane, but as we have all discussed before, the majority of the pax are VFR...
Kevin From Canada, joined Dec 2000, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4134 times:
If this is true than I guess the flight will be really profitable because Canada Lebanon traffic is huge. May be this will save Air Canada from bancrupcy...
MEA321 From Lebanon, joined Oct 2003, 389 posts, RR: 18 Reply 14, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 4084 times:
Yegbey01,
AC is running a business, not a convenience service. At the end of the day, they want to fill seats on every flight whether the pax are connecting from DTW, YUL, JFK, or YEG! It doesnt matter where the pax are coming from. Your statement about "watering down profitability" is unfounded im afraid to say.
FLYYUL From Italy, joined Jun 2000, 4930 posts, RR: 53 Reply 15, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 4071 times:
YegBey,
When the flights were first announced, there were connex pax from almost everywhere. Montreal-Lebanon is not enough in terms of O&D to guarantee the flight.
Having worked at NW/CO, there were a lot of angry pax who found out the day of departure that YULBEY was terminated. We got like 20-30 connex pax projected, all of which have to be re-accomodated, primarily via YYZ where there is more space to Europe in the summer.
BA From United States of America, joined exactly 13 years ago today! , 11135 posts, RR: 61 Reply 16, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 4031 times:
FLYYUL,
Any idea if the flight will be year-round or only seasonal like last summer (before it was canceled)?
Did you also hear that the flight will be on an A340 this time rather than a 767?
MEA is going to release a ton of info in March along with their plans for Sao Paulo and fleet expansion. Perhaps then we will also hear about the Montreal flight.
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
Yegbey01 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1678 posts, RR: 3 Reply 17, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 4030 times:
Mark,
I don't know then why AC would want to run the flight out of YUL. It might as well be YYZ-BEY. Better access to many many more pax.
There's a large Lebanese community here in Toronto
BA From United States of America, joined exactly 13 years ago today! , 11135 posts, RR: 61 Reply 18, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 4022 times:
Yes, there are many Lebanese in Hamilton.
I have heard however that the YUL flight primarily relied on O&D and not very much connections.....
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
FLYYUL From Italy, joined Jun 2000, 4930 posts, RR: 53 Reply 19, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 4006 times:
YegBey.
They might as well send every flight to YYZ for that matter ..
There is no doubt that the local community in Montreal is the strongest in North.Amer. And you go where you can the largest O&D numbers, for it is the more profitable type of pax travel.
BA,
Since I left NW.. im stuck at home/school where my sources have become more limited in nature
Yegbey01 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1678 posts, RR: 3 Reply 20, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 3967 times:
Kevin,
Air Canada's new strategy is to focus on money making routes and not necessarily serving only large European cities (MAD, CPH, FCO which they dropped).
This is why DEL, BEY, GRU, SCL are attractive for AC. They are not very risky because loads are almost guaranteed.
FLYACYYZ From Canada, joined Jan 2004, 1914 posts, RR: 12 Reply 21, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 3962 times:
This always seems to be the "hot" AC topic on A.Net.
BA - Regarding the A340. Highly unlikely unless following the exit from CCAA (Bankruptcy Protection), the A340-500's are liberated from Toulouse, and the A340-600's follow their scheduled delivery patterns. Even still, there is such an equipment shortage, that routes to Asia that operated with A340-300's last year are being saddled down with B767-300's this year. Given yield and profit margins, if A340's of any series materialize, they would first be deployed as follows:
YVR-ICN
YVR-KIX
YYZ-SCL-EZE (Reinstated route Dec/03. Load factor in the high 90's)
KEVIN - The BEY route will save the company from bankruptcy? Full flights do not mean revenue-generating flights. It takes more than one route to sustain a company, and I can think of a dozen routes over the years that have been pulled despite being full. Here's a few:
YYZ-BOM-SIN (via LHR)
YVR-TPE (Reinstated for S2004)
YUL-TLV (Pre-9/11)
YYZ-HNL
YYZ-YMX-ATH
YYZ-CPH & MAD (This year alledgedly over equipment shortage)
YYZ-GLA & MAN & ZRH (All seasonal, and MAN now handed over to BD. Even through the winter when GLA/MAN operated circle route, virtually 100% full)
The whole BEY topic...can't wait to see how it evolves!!
FLYYUL From Italy, joined Jun 2000, 4930 posts, RR: 53 Reply 23, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 3930 times:
On the above mentionned list,
I cant understand how in the eyes of AC, that YULBEY can show more promise than YULTLV.
The Montreal jewish community is estimated at almost 100,000 persons. The Lebanese right near 60,000. Each are growing at same paces according to the latest statcan reports.
When AC operated the flights, it did a 5 weekly split YYZ, and 2 weekly split to YUL. It then transferred all flights to YYZ.. YUL was left with nothing. Not to mention that El Al pulled out SPECIFICALLY due to Air Canada's capacity additions.
BA From United States of America, joined exactly 13 years ago today! , 11135 posts, RR: 61 Reply 24, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 3897 times:
I will find out more info tommorow or the day after.
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
25 MEA330: Hello Guys, I don't want to always take out the excitement about the MEA rumors you predict but here's a small analysis: --> MEA is planning to increa
26 AirxLiban: well, it was nice to dream but it is important for MEA to improve their hub before venturing further long haul. i haven't given up on GRU just yet how
27 MEA310: FLYYUL Remember that El Al serves non-stop flights to the US.So pax heading to TLV could connect through JFK & fly non-stop to TLV;therefore AC could
28 BA: Thanks for the info MEA330. Any idea if any of the increases you mentioned will be permanent or only for the summer? I'm seeing CPH as running until S
29 OD720: I was talking to an "insider" today and asked many of the questions that we are discussing here. It is almost certain now that GRU will be launched th
30 BA: OD720, Since the 1 A330 you say will be only short term leases. Does this mean GRU will only be seasonal? MEA cannot fly to Sao Paulo without getting
31 Yegbey01: MEA330, I don't think many of us had ever predicted that MEA would fly to YUL. It was all about AC flying to BEY and MEA possibly codesharing on that
32 BA: I have a feeling MEA will be ordering another or two A330, but until they arrive, MEA will be leasing an A330 from another airline. I have been told t
33 OD720: BA, I asked about the CPH flight and he couldn't tell. I only put the above since he sounded quite sure about them. This is all for now. We must wait
34 MEA330: With regard to AVOD, the A321's will have the AVOD installed by summer end(in J class only). This is because MEA is one of the launch customers on the
35 BA: MEA330, Thanks for the info. Any idea why AVOD will only be added in the J class of the A321s? Also do you have any idea if in-seat satellite phones w
36 MEA321: BA, The MEA sales office in Copenhagen confirmed for me that the flight will be seasonal, however ticket sales are going on through October. Currently
37 BA: Are you sure ticket sales are going through October? If that's so, then they exceeded their original planned time for the route. I show the route oper
38 Yegbey01: MEA321, There are tons of seats still avilable on the CPH flights. Do you mean seats were scoopped up by consolidators....
39 MEA321: The seats are no longer available for sale in June. Sometimes when cargo loads are high, airlines will trade seats for weight so that they can take mo
40 BA: MEA321, If they are selling seats in October, then I think the route is not seasonal. Summer seasonal routes for MEA always end in September. MEA's sp
41 BA: FLYACYYZ, Last summer, MEA was going to do all the ground handling, check-in, etc. for Air Canada. Do you know if this will be the case for this comin
42 FLYACYYZ: Again, the whole issue of BEY, is lack of equipment. Have no doubts that if the company is able to secure more aircraft, that would be a step closer t
43 Yegbey01: FLY ACYYZ, wouldn't it make more sense to operate the BEY flight out of YYZ...? I live in Toronto and there are 1000's of Lebanese here
44 BA: FLYACYYZ, Yes, M.E.A.G is one of MEA's 3 subsidiaries. As you said, it stands for Middle East Airlines Ground Handling. Oooh nice....AC passengers get
45 FLYYUL: Now why would it make more sense for AC to fly YYZBEY instead of YULBEY? The most profitable and important aspect of the market is the local origin an
46 Yegbey01: Mark, A lot of folks were saying that the YUL-BEY flight depended on connecting passengers last summer. Some folks even predicted that AC should opera
47 FLYACYYZ: YEGBEY01 Sorry bud. Think Mark has you on this one. According to AC marketing, YYZ was never even considered. I'm from YYZ too..so nothing personal. S
48 Yegbey01: Rod, That was my first thought... O&D will always wins as it generates more yields.
50 FLYYUL: Hey Rod, Still waiting on that email .. they'll probably do a rapidair turn for the BEY aircraft. Mark
51 ToBEYwithMEA: Hey everyone, This is great news, MEA makes money, AC makes money, BEY makes money. Perfect. Dose anyone know anything about AC's 340 classes(first, b
52 MEA310: Welcome to A.net ToBEYwithMEA;I like your username MEA310
53 GoMEA: Welcome ToBEYwithMEA !!! I've been out of town and I see that there has been some discussions ! and, I didn't even read the Delta thing... The CPH suc
54 ToBEYwithMEA: MEA don't need to make a stop in MAD. They have enough paxs on the route already. Maybe a 321 could make some profit in the summer to MAD, but not a 3
55 ToBEYwithMEA: Maybe the PW engines are a problem. All of MEA's engines (including the I.A.Es for the 321) are taken care by Rolls Royce. But these 330-200's will no
56 BA: PW may not be a problem since the leases form Lufthansa will only be temporary. Also keep in mind that MEA could ask Lufthansa to have them re-engined
57 FLYYUL: Back to the topic at hand, What are the chances AC will operate to BEY this summer? I wanna hear what most of you have heard in terms of rumours etc.
58 MEA321: ToBEYwithMEA, Ahlen wa sahlen, we all are excited to have you on board, welcome! FLYYUL, The entire Canadian transport sector has seen massive changes
59 Yegbey01: To BEY with MEA... Welcome to the forum!!! Where did that BEY-MAD-GRU come from???? I don't believe this has any chance of succeeding. Mark, The BEY-Y
60 BA: Yegbey01, They announced it in March, not February. I think you will hear an announcement come in March. Regards
61 Yegbey01: BA, You are right! It was announced March 7, 2003. Well, we'll keep our fingers crossed.
62 BA: Hopefully we'll hear the announcement sometime in early March. But it could be later...... Regards
63 FLYACYYZ: In an alternate thread.. "AIR CANADA AND THEIR A340-500's" YYZ717 indicates that he read via Airways.com that the two painted, and ready to go A345's
64 BA: FLYACYYZ, Let's hope for the best. Any idea how many aircraft AC returned to their leasers recently and which aircraft? Regards
65 ToBEYwithMEA: Thank you guys FLYYUL "I wanna hear what most of you have heard in terms of rumours etc." This is not really a rumour anymore. Ok- its not offical but
66 MEA330: Changing engine types (PW to RR like some of you are suggesting)after the plane has been delivered is extremely rare. Some A320's have had their engin
67 ToBEYwithMEA: I have gotten some MEA insider info. And if MEA go to GRU this summer they will need more planes by summer. It all depends on GRU
68 MEA310: ToBEYwithMEA "I realy like AC and want them to come to BEY but i also think that AC should only operate out of BEY if MEA can operate out of YUL." AC
69 ToBEYwithMEA: MEA needs to serve GRU. 12 million Lebanese people in San Palo, how could they not serve it !! With Airbus A330-223's , which offer one of the lowest
70 Yegbey01: It was rumoured that MEA was planning to code share the DXB-HKG flight. But the plan was moot after Sept 11.
71 BA: It was rumoured that MEA was planning to code share the DXB-HKG flight. It certainly wasn't a rumor. I saw the advertisements myself last spring. Rega
72 Yegbey01: BA Any plans on when and whether they will renew the codesharing agreement
73 BA: Yegbey01, I have no idea. It looks like the deal fell through as a result of SARs. As far as I know, the code-share never started. Plans were canceled
74 Yegbey01: There's definitely a shortage of flights to South East Asia out of BEY. With only three flights a week on Malaysian... I wonder why CX hasn;t stepped
75 ToBEYwithMEA: BA! I saw those posters too. they were posted on the outside of the Gefinor branch in spring and summer. I thought that MEA were going to fly to Hong
76 OD720: The SARS epidemic was behind the cancellation of the codeshare agreement with CX. I think it can be launched again once both airlines get the necessar
78 FLYYUL: It was a stunning success. 2 weeks after the flights went for sale, flights were soldout for the summer. You'll see, no SARS/no war for WMD this summe
79 AF022: just because there are 12m lebanese in SP doesn't mean an airline 'needs' to fly there. many airlines have lost a ton of money by going after ethnic t
80 MEA310: I remember seeing an advertisement of the BEY-HKG via DXB,sure with CX, last october at the airport,so it must've been operated...SARS outbreak was ov
81 Yegbey01: I know that a lot of folks would be willing to fly to BEY this summer just to get on the nonstop and support the service. Mark, I don't know about 5 f
82 BA: We'll ask AC to reintroduce the YUL-DEN service just so that you can connect easily to BEY rather than BA. Sounds good to me! The new BA schedule to B
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