Runway23 From US Minor Outlying Islands, joined Jan 2005, 2038 posts, RR: 39 Posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 5998 times:
We've long speculated about the route on here, but the rumours are now official with year-round service from Montreal (as a continuation from Toronto) launching June 1st using 763 equipment. Flight is operated in codeshare with Swiss. Daily during the summer and 4x weekly during the winter.
Good Air Canada is coming to Geneva. Must be an amazing view, the nice livery of AC in front of the alps or over the Lake Geneva. I hope for some nice pictures of it.
BrightCedars From Belgium, joined Nov 2004, 1276 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 5591 times:
I think eventually they should maybe try to do a YUL-BRU-GVA run, wonder what that would turn out to be. In cooperation with LX and SN. Could even be a triangular route sometimes YUL-BRU-GVA-YUL, sometimes YUL-GVA-BRU-YUL to offer nonstop service from both capitals. It should easily sustain a daily frequency.
Runway23 From US Minor Outlying Islands, joined Jan 2005, 2038 posts, RR: 39 Reply 6, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 5555 times:
Quoting BrightCedars (Reply 5): I think eventually they should maybe try to do a YUL-BRU-GVA run, wonder what that would turn out to be. In cooperation with LX and SN. Could even be a triangular route sometimes YUL-BRU-GVA-YUL, sometimes YUL-GVA-BRU-YUL to offer nonstop service from both capitals. It should easily sustain a daily frequency.
Triangular flights are expensive, time costly and offer very little that a one-stop flight wouldn't offer.
BRU-YUL performed fairly well back with Sabena. With SN joining star alliance and offering good connectivity there's always a possibility that AC may see this as a fit route to launch.
Also, Montreal is not the capital of Canada (Ottawa), nor is Geneva the capital of Switzerland (Berne)...
LongHauler From Canada, joined Mar 2004, 4281 posts, RR: 36 Reply 9, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 5389 times:
Quoting Bmacleod (Reply 3): With LX codesharing and YYZ-ZRH is there really a market to support this service?
I think when people ask, "Why isn't there service between ....?" and "Why is there service between ....?" they don't understand is that with code sharing and airline alliances, they know EXACTLY how many people fly between two points. Let's face it, AC and UA know exactly how many people fly between every point in Canada and every point in the US.
AC, LX (and LH) know exactly how many people fly between Canada and Switzerland. Or more to the point, how many YYZ/YUL-GVA passengers are presently flying via FRA and ZRH, and wish to capture some of that market with a direct or nonstop flight.
It would appear with AC's load factors in the mid 80s, they are "getting it right".
Never gonna grow up, never gonna slow down .... Barefoot Blue Jean Night
Sebring From Canada, joined Jul 2004, 1658 posts, RR: 15 Reply 10, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 5356 times:
It's also true that a lot of eastern Canadians like ski vacations in the Alps, and Geneva and Zurich access different Alpine resorts, and during the summer, a lot of Quebecers go to Western France. Transat has a lot of capacity into Western France, including Lyons. AC is at a disadvantage in this market. While AF can offer coordinated connections to Western France, and Transat flies to Lyons and Strasbourg, IIRC, AC can only take people as far as Paris. To get them to Lyons on a code-share, I suspect AC has to route them via LHR or ZRH, which is less than ideal.
So I presume AC and Swiss want to pick up some of the people in western France who go to Canada and some of the Canadians destined to western France.
BrightCedars From Belgium, joined Nov 2004, 1276 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 5048 times:
Quoting Runway23 (Reply 6): Also, Montreal is not the capital of Canada (Ottawa), nor is Geneva the capital of Switzerland (Berne)...
God I'm sorry about that one. I was just in a prosaic mood, don't believe for one second I believe Geneva is the capital of Switzerland. It remains an important city however, more important than Bern for that matter.
The other capital I meant is BRU and there's no mistake there. BRU is even a double capital if you consider it as that of Belgium and as that of the EU.
I know triangular flights are not in fashion anymore but to start up operation they may still be useful. I reckon daily nonstop is the standard of our times.
Kiwiandrew From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8435 posts, RR: 14 Reply 12, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 4985 times:
Quoting BrightCedars (Reply 11): BRU is even a double capital if you consider it as that of Belgium and as that of the EU.
triple capital actually , as it is the Flemish capital as well , isn't it ? ( which is a bit weird when you come to think of it since Brussels isn't actually in Flanders even though it is surrounded by it )
anyway , back OT ( sort of ) , I must admit that this flight surprised me - I would have thought that a YYZ-YUL-BRU flight would have come before a YYZ-YUL-GVA flight ... perhaps when the LH takeover goes through and SN join Star AC will be able to make BRU work as BRU could offer good , uncongested connectivity to a whole host of 2nd tier European cities . Does LX offer any sort of connection at GVA these days ? I thought that they had really wound down their presence there in which case this flight will have to stand on its own rather than benefitting from connecting traffic .
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
RP TPA From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 829 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 4933 times:
Quoting Runway23 (Thread starter): year-round service from Montreal (as a continuation from Toronto)
Just an FYI....the YYZ-YUL legs will operate as Rapidair flts in both directions. So, from YYZ the flight will be considered domestic from YYZ-YUL before continuing to GVA. On the return from GVA, all passengers will deplane in YUL and clear customs before reboarding what is essentially a Rapidair YUL-YYZ flight.
Flyyul From Italy, joined Jun 2000, 4930 posts, RR: 53 Reply 15, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 4866 times:
Quoting Humberside (Reply 13): Zurich, LCY (backtracking). Everything else is once daily or less I think, so no good for connections. GVA is a focus city based soley on local demand
Swiss has flights to Barcelona, Zurich, Athens.. MEA has Beirut (huge market from YUL), and flights connects to SAS/LH/OS/TP services.
Also Swiss has their code-share on AF to CDG, SN to BRU.. so anybody buying an LX ticket can do CDG/BRU-GVA-YUL if necessary
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21498 posts, RR: 24 Reply 16, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 4662 times:
Quoting Sebring (Reply 10): So I presume AC and Swiss want to pick up some of the people in western France who go to Canada and some of the Canadians destined to western France.
GVA certainly isn't a gateway to western France. Or do you mean eastern France?
Runway23 From US Minor Outlying Islands, joined Jan 2005, 2038 posts, RR: 39 Reply 19, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 4548 times:
Quoting Babybus (Reply 17): Good for AC, especially when it seems a lot of airlines are pulling out of GVA.
There haven't been "a lot" of airlines pulling out, only Olympic has pulled out. BA has axed flights to LGW (and even that is only seasonal), although those are rumoured to transfer to LCY.
On the otherhand, next year GVA obviously sees AC and UA. Aegean have requested slots to Athens, TA will start Bucharest, Iceland Express Reykjavik, AF are going to start ORY, TK, EY, LOT, and ME have increased frequencies and flybe is going year-round (as jet2 had done last summer).
This winter GVA has seen new service to Casablanca on jet4you and to tashkent on uzbekistan airways.
Overall GVA is still seeing good growth which is not the case around Europe. The yield out of GVA remains extremely high, which is the reason AC, UA and others are starting service to the airport whilst others are seeing cuts.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21498 posts, RR: 24 Reply 20, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 4422 times:
Quoting Runway23 (Reply 19): The yield out of GVA remains extremely high, which is the reason AC, UA and others are starting service to the airport whilst others are seeing cuts.
I wouldn't say yield from GVA is "extremely" high if you're considering all destinations, especially with low-cost carriers now carrying a big and growing share of traffic especially within Europe. EasyJet now accounts for about 35% of GVA's total passenger traffic and have been the largest carrier at GVA for several years.
Carlos1979 From Canada, joined Dec 2003, 108 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 4366 times:
Interesting news. I personally did not think that GVA would be AC's next European destination. Can we expect any more news on further European expansion by AC?
Anyone know where the metal for this flight is coming from?
MEA330 From Lebanon, joined Aug 2002, 268 posts, RR: 8 Reply 22, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 4347 times:
Looks like Air Canada had the MEA connection to Beirut in mind when they planned the YUL-GVA flight; since they mentioned it in the Press Release.
The schedules aret timed for 1:45 transit on YUL-GVA-BEY and 1:30 transit on BEY-GVA-YUL. Should be nice to transfer in a calm airport like GVA instead of the long lines at LHR, CDG and FRA.
BrightCedars From Belgium, joined Nov 2004, 1276 posts, RR: 2 Reply 23, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 3687 times:
Quoting Kiwiandrew (Reply 12): triple capital actually , as it is the Flemish capital as well , isn't it ? ( which is a bit weird when you come to think of it since Brussels isn't actually in Flanders even though it is surrounded by it )
I would have counted that but it's a domestic status as capital, doesn't really affect anything beyond the borders of our little country.
Quoting MEA330 (Reply 22): Should be nice to transfer in a calm airport like GVA instead of the long lines at LHR, CDG and FRA.
Connies4ever From Canada, joined Feb 2006, 3857 posts, RR: 13 Reply 24, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 3620 times:
This is not AC's first time in GVA, of course. It was served as a tag-on to the YUL-CDG service on AC870 in the 80s and/or 90s for a while. But it will be the 1st non-stop service into GVA for AC.
It will be interesting to see how (or if) this affects loads out of ZRH for both YUL & YYZ.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
25 Icna05e: Isn't ME supposed to enter Skyteam as an associate member soon? I think AF down the road at CDG would oppose such a codeshare.
26 BA: I'm really glad GVA is seeing an increase in transatlantic traffic. I flew on Swissair's GVA-JFK flight back in the good old days a number of times on
27 Humberside: I mentioned Zurich, but BCN, ATH and the other LX routes except LCY are once daily or less aren't they, so would require an overnight one way to conn
28 Viscount724: As long as you avoid weekends during the ski season when GVA handles dozens of charter flights, mostly from the UK. Saturday is the worst day between
29 Runway23: I think you are underestimating the demand of BEY-YUL and its effect on this route. The connecting times are ideal and GVA being a small airport and
30 Connies4ever: Of course, AC did serve LYS for a while in the 90s, I think 3x with 762s. I would think this is a mainly low-yield market, so I won't hold my breath
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